In a move that should’ve happened back in 2008 when Russia invaded and began occupying two sections of Georgia or again in 2014 when Russia seized Crimea or yet again in 2022 when the Russian population showed overwhelming public support for the full scale genocide operation in Ukraine, the Czech Republic will soon deny Russian citizens the right to Czech citizenship.
The Czech Parliament has approved a legal amendment introducing new restrictions for Russian nationals seeking Czech citizenship. The bill, passed with 92 votes in favor, 35 against, and 47 abstentions, now awaits consideration by the Senate and requires the president’s signature to become law.
Under the proposed legislation, Russian citizens would be required to renounce their Russian citizenship before obtaining Czech nationality. Exceptions are included for children and political refugees. Additionally, all citizenship applications from Russians over the age of 15, including those already submitted, would be frozen indefinitely.
The amendment was introduced in September by Martin Exner, a member of the Mayors and Independents party, part of the ruling coalition. The party released a poster featuring Matryoshka dolls, implying that some Russians have “abused dual citizenship in the interests of Russia” and stating that Czechia does not need “Putin’s dolls” in the country. Exner later clarified that the poster targeted only those who “might be Russian agents.”
Approximately 40,000 Russians hold temporary or permanent residence permits in Czechia, representing about 0.4% of the population. The Czech Interior Ministry reports an increase in Russian applications for citizenship in recent years, with Russians comprising about one-fifth of new citizens between 2019 and 2022, rising to about a quarter in 2023.
With the Russian economy now in a state of collapse, it’s still a question whether there will even soon be a “Russia” to worry about.