New proposal to legalise dual citizenship for Lithuanian citizens

A new proposal to provide that citizens of the Republic of Lithuania, who acquired their citizenship by birth, to combine their citizenship with that of another country has been put forward by two MPs.

“It should be recognized that dual citizenship is a common international practice and the phenomenon exists regardless of whether the state recognizes it or not. With free movement of persons, the existence of a large emigration as well as immigration, the increasing number of mixed marriages (ie spouses of different nationality) and children born to mixed couples, dual citizenship is gradually becoming a widespread phenomenon,” said Social Democrat Birutė Vėsaitė.

This draft amendment to the Law on Citizenship has been put forward at Parliament by Social Democrats Birutė Vėsaitė and Orinta Leiputė. They said the initiative is designed to create conditions for preserving the nationality of persons born in Lithuania.

“Theoretically, there might be situations where a child born to parents of different nationalities who will gain at the two, and even three nationalities (both parents and place of birth of the state),” said Vėsaitė.

Opinion polls show that Lithuanians are in favour of legalisation of dual citizenship, the majority in parliamentary also supports it. The current debate is around what model of dual nationality is most appropriate.