Since the beginning of the year, 182 new citizens of Ukraine have appeared in Transcarpathia

Recently, there have been reports in the media on measures taken by foreign countries and aimed at simplifying the procedure for obtaining foreign citizenship by citizens of Ukraine. In this regard, the Main Office of the State Migration Service of Ukraine in Transcarpathian region informs the public about the main provisions of the legislation of Ukraine and the legal consequences of acquisition of foreign citizenship by citizens of Ukraine.

Article 2 of the Law of Ukraine "On Citizenship of Ukraine" (hereinafter – the Law) stipulates that if a citizen of Ukraine acquired citizenship (nationality) of another state or states, in legal relations with Ukraine, he or she is recognized as the citizen of Ukraine.

The law also defines the grounds and procedures for acquisition and termination of citizenship of Ukraine. Citizenship of Ukraine is terminated, in particular due to its loss (Article 17 of the Law).

One of the reasons for registration of the loss of citizenship of Ukraine, in accordance with Article 19 of the Law, is voluntary acquisition of citizenship of another country by a citizen of Ukraine, provided that at the time of such acquisition, he or she has come of age.

By the terms of Article 20 of the Law, a citizen of Ukraine, for whom the loss of citizenship is registered, shall enjoy all the rights and shall assume all duties of a citizen of Ukraine until the issuance of the decree of the President of Ukraine on the termination of citizenship of Ukraine.

Thus, the voluntary acquisition of the citizenship of a foreign state by a citizen of Ukraine does not exempt a citizen from the obligation to adhere to the Constitution of Ukraine and laws of Ukraine, as well as liability for their violations until the adoption of appropriate decision by the President of Ukraine on the termination of the citizenship of Ukraine.

According to the head of the citizenship sector of the passport, citizenship and registration of persons department of the Main Office of the State Migration Service of Ukraine in the region Victoria Philip, in 2013, in Transcarpathia, 367 persons acquired the citizenship of Ukraine, 206 of them were citizens of the Russian Federation. And as of today, 182 people in the region have expressed a desire and have acquired Ukrainian citizenship.