5HSRUWRQ5XVVLD on the territory of Lithuania, Latvia or Estonia, or other former republics of the USSR and who came to Russia after February 6th 1992. In total 65,000 citizens had their Russian passports declared null and void in this manner. Furthermore, FMS officials withdrew passports from 34,000 citizens of Russia. All these people whose passports were withdrawn and declared invalid were offered the chance to apply for a residence permit in Russia as a stateless person (Lukyanova et al 2011: 12). Only after pressure from human rights NGOs, Commissioners (Ombudsmen) for Human Rights in the Russian Federation (federal and regional), and the Presidential Human Rights Council the State Duma of Russia make a decision that a ‘passport amnesty’ should take place in 2012.51 As result of this ‘passport amnesty’ all citizens who had been factually deprived of Russian citizenship by the decision of public authorities should have their Russian passports returned. On 1 November 2011 the draft law regarding ‘passport amnesty’, successfully passed the first reading in State Duma. 52 The draft stipulates that deprivation of citizenship of those who received the Russian passport during the period from 1991 to 2002 will be possible only if the passport was obtained by obviously illegal methods. If FMS officials have such suspicions, they must be presented in court. 5.2 Abolition of the simplified naturalisation procedure 5.2.1 Case of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan On 21 October 2011 the President of Russia D.A.Medvedev signed a decree which de facto abolished the simplified naturalisation procedure based on existing international treaties.53 At the moment there are two such international treaties: a quadrilateral agreement (between Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia) and a bilateral agreement (between Russia and Kyrgyzstan). According to these agreements citizens of Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan could obtain citizenship of Russia within 3 months from application. Experts believe that this will substantially extend the length of registration procedure up to two years.54 Due to this decree migrants to Russia are now obliged to obtain a residence permit by considering the option of naturalisation in Russia through the simplified procedure based on international treaties. Previously when applying for naturalisation, migrants from these countries could choose to attach to their application for Russian citizenship the migration card, temporary residence permit or permanent residence permit. The procedure for obtaining a permanent residence permit is excessively complex and long in comparison with obtaining the two other documents (Ruget & Usmanalieva 2010: 445). 51 Natalia Kozlova. Passport amnesty. The deprivation of passports is now prohibited. Russian gazette. !5629. 10.11.2011. http://www.rg.ru/2011/11/10/pasport.html [O&/&$62 K)9$)*&. F&.()+/"&2 &="1./12. B/"1=&/6 8 %+&,-&"1"& (&.()+/ /#(#+6 9&(+#C#"). B(8:$1;)*&") * ?)..1@.;&2 %&9#/& (O#-#$2) N5629 )/ 10 ")2:+2 2011 %.] 52 Draft of the federal law regarding amendments to the Federal Law ‘About Citizenship of the RF’. Draft No. 462911-5 from 2.11.2011 [F+)#;/ T#-#+&$6")%) 9&;)"& B *"#.#"11 19=#"#"1@ * T#-#+&$6"'@ 9&;)" ‘B %+&,-&"./*# ?)..1@.;)@ T#-#+&D11’. F+)#;/ ! 462911-5 )/ 2 ")2:+2 2011 %.] http://www.rg.ru/2011/11/02/grajdanstvo-sitedok.html 53 Decree of the President of Russia from 19.10.2011. No.1391. ‘About amendments to the Provisions about the Order of consideration of questions regarding acquisition of citizenship of the RF’ (published and entered into force on 24.10.2011. [Z;&9 F+#91-#"/& ?)..11 «B *"#.#"11 19=#"#"1@ * F)$),#"11 ) ()+2-;# +&..=)/+#"12 *)(+).)* %+&,-&"./*& ?T» )/ 19.10.11 !1391 – )(8:$1;)*&" 1 *./8(1$ * .1$8 24 );/2:+2 2011 %)-&]. 54 Alexandra Viktorovna Dokuchaeva. New rules of naturalisation into the Russian citizenship are violating rights of compatriots. ‘MATERIK’ - information and analytics from the post-soviet space. 31.10.2011. http://materik.ru/rubric/detail.php?ID=14131 [P$#;.&"-+& H1;/)+)*"& S);8<&#*&. O)*'# (+&*1$& (+1#=& * %+&,-&"./*) ?T :67/ () .))/#<#./*#""1;&=. J"4)+=&D1)"")-&"&$1/1<#.;1@ ()+/&$ ()./.)*#/.;)%) (+)./+&"./*& «VPWL?JK». 31.10.2011]. 56&$6(8'2&,7&5‹$XWKRU