A total of 247 parliamentarians voted in favor, 31 against, and 22 abstained.
In the revised version for the second reading, the proposals and amendments from the MPs, as well as those from the World Congress of Ukrainians, should be taken into account, noted Zheleznyak.
In a separate vote, 150 deputies sent the draft law for examination by the Constitutional Court (Article 4 of the Constitution of Ukraine provides for a single citizenship – Ukrainian).
The foundational draft law permits Ukrainians to hold multiple citizenships under the following circumstances:
- if a child acquires both Ukrainian citizenship and citizenship of another country at birth;
- if a child with a Ukrainian passport receives citizenship from foreign adoptive parents;
- automatic acquisition of citizenship upon marriage to a foreign national;
- foreigners who have the right to obtain Ukrainian citizenship through a simplified process.
Moreover, the current version of the draft law prohibits multiple citizenship for those holding a passport from an aggressor state Russia and other countries that do not recognize the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine.
Additionally, the document revises the grounds for losing Ukrainian citizenship, regulates the procedure for replacing expired passports, and the process for foreigners to obtain Ukrainian citizenship if they have provided or are providing military, humanitarian, or other assistance to the army in combat zones during the state of martial law.
Ukrainian Interior Minister Igor Klymenko noted on Telegram that the document adopted in the first reading "addresses the needs of our diaspora abroad and will support those who have been forced to leave the country due to the war."
"It also takes into account the interests of foreign citizens and stateless persons who are currently defending Ukraine, as well as their family members. We appreciate the contributions of foreigners [to the defense of Ukraine, so] it is necessary to provide them with the opportunity for integration through Ukrainian citizenship without mandatory renunciation of their foreign citizenship," – he wrote.
At the same time, MP from "European Solidarity" Iryna Herashchenko wrote on Telegram that the proposed dual citizenship institute "grants political rights, including voting rights, [to foreigners], which poses a threat to national security."
"It seems unfair that foreigners will have the right to hold two citizenships, while Ukrainian citizens who acquire citizenship of another country will lose their Ukrainian citizenship," – Herashchenko pointed out.
She also described as "anti-Ukrainian" the provisions of the draft law that "allow applicants for a Ukrainian passport to bypass exams in the Ukrainian language, history of Ukraine, and the Constitution."