The State Duma advanced a legislative package titled “On Citizenship of the Russian Federation,” a measure that originated in proposals presented to the chamber by President Vladimir Putin. The move signals a broader effort to refine who may be considered a citizen and under what conditions, with the government emphasizing the need to align citizenship rules with Russia’s security and policy priorities as the country faces a complex geopolitical landscape.
Advocates described the bill as a comprehensive update to existing statutes on citizenship. A key element is the tightening of provisions that previously could lead to the loss of acquired citizenship for actions deemed harmful to Russia’s national security or to the standing of the Russian Armed Forces. The text specifies that acts which discredit or undermine the military, as well as other activities that threaten the country’s security, can trigger the deprivation of citizenship. This shift aims to create a clearer, more enforceable framework for addressing cases where allegiance to the state is called into question, while balancing due process considerations for those affected.
Beyond the deprivation provisions, the legislation also reconfigures the pathway to Russian citizenship by easing requirements for a broad segment of applicants. The bill reduces the number of conditions that must be met by more than 20 categories of persons seeking admission to citizenship, thereby broadening access for individuals who meet other criteria or who have longstanding ties to the country. In parallel, the president would be granted broader discretion to specify who qualifies for a streamlined, expedited process, potentially accelerating naturalization for certain groups that policymakers deem beneficial to national interests.
During the legislative debate, members of the State Duma and the Federation Council proposed a total of 62 amendments to the draft. Of these, 31 were adopted in the final version. The completed package also introduces a provision permitting voluntary deprivation of citizenship under defined circumstances, offering a formal avenue for individuals who wish to relinquish their Russian citizenship. The changes reflect a careful calibration of incentives and penalties, designed to clarify the balance between rights and responsibilities associated with citizenship in a modern, security-conscious state.
Historically, the draft built on previously expressed positions within the State Duma’s Citizenship and Immigration Committee, which supported measures to protect the national image of the armed forces by allowing the deprivation of acquired citizenship where actions undermine the military’s legitimacy. The committee’s stance reflected a broader intent to strengthen national sovereignty and maintain clear expectations for those who choose to become part of the Russian political community. The new law, if enacted, would be one of several recent reforms aimed at reconciling citizen status with evolving security concerns and demographic considerations, while attempting to preserve fairness and transparency in the naturalization process. In the eyes of supporters, the reforms represent a decisive step toward ensuring that citizenship aligns with the country’s constitutional duties and security commitments, whereas critics may raise questions about potential impacts on individual rights and the administrative pathways for naturalization.