Acquisition of nationality through naturalization
of the State Duma was concurrently deliberating a separate draft bill to the same
end. Acknowledging that a formal, durable solution needed to be found, the Russian
Government pledged at the December 2011 Ministerial Meeting to introduce additional
procedures to facilitate acquisition of Russian Federation citizenship and residency
permits for certain categories of stateless persons.63
The Russian parliament passed additional amendments to its 2002 Citizenship Law in
November 2012 (2012 amendments).64 This reform established procedures for facilitated
naturalization for certain groups of individuals, including stateless former Soviet citizens,
and addressed the challenge that arose from Article 14.4 of the 2002 Citizenship Law by
eliminating any requirement that applicants for citizenship produce proof of residence
registration in the Russian Federation. The procedures for facilitated naturalization are
similar to those provided for under Article 14.4 of the 2002 Citizenship Law; in other
words, they waive the requirement for proof of uninterrupted residence for five years,
proof of means of self-sufficiency and Russian-language proficiency. In addition, Article
41.1.e of the amended law extends facilitated naturalization to former USSR citizens
who acquired Russian Federation passports that had been subsequently revoked due
to a determination that the passports were issued by administrative error. Although it
remains to be seen how the obstacle of the loss or non-possession of USSR passports
will be addressed in practice, the 2012 amendments to the Citizenship Law confirm the
Russian Federation��s intention of resolving statelessness in its territory.
The President of the Russian Federation signed a law in December 2016 that would
continue to simplify acquisition of citizenship for stateless persons who meet the
Russian language requirements and live or have lived in the Russian Federation. In April
2020, a law was adopted which further simplifies the naturalization procedure. As of 24
July 2020, the five-year legal residence and proof of income requirements were waived
for stateless persons.
63
The full text of the Russian Federation pledge is included in UNHCR, Pledges 2011: Ministerial Intergovernmental Event on
Refugees and Stateless Persons (Geneva, Palais des Nations, 7-8 December 2011), available at: http://www.unhcr.
org/4ff55a319.html
64 Federal Law № 182-FZ dated 12 November 2012 “On introducing amendments to the Federal Law On Citizenship of the
Russian Federation.
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