Poroshenko Proposes Bill To Ban Dual Citizenship In Ukraine

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has proposed a bill that would ban dual citizenship.

The Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, said on March 14 that the amendments to the law on citizenship proposed on March 13 were sent to the parliamentary Committee for Human Rights, Ethnic Minorities, and Interethnic Relations for discussion.

The bill was described as urgent.

Under the proposed amendments, Ukrainians would lose their citizenship if they "voluntarily" obtain citizenship in another country.

They also specify that anyone who obtained Ukrainian citizenship but did not return the passports of the countries of their previous citizenship would also lose Ukrainian citizenship.

The discussion of dual citizenship has come to the fore in Ukraine following unconfirmed media reports saying that suspended tax and customs service chief Roman Nasirov, who has been arrested on suspicion of corruption, holds foreign passports.