Kremlin

President of Russia

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National Priorities:
| Compatriots
| Land Reform
| Economic Growth

CITIZENSHIP |

| “The President of the Russian Federation shall… solve the issues of citizenship of the Russian Federation and of granting political asylum.” The Constitution of the Russian Federation

The right to citizenship is an inalienable right of every individual and was recorded as such in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the UN General Assembly on December 10, 1948. The Constitution of the Russian Federation and Russian legislation on citizenship fully ensure adherence to the principles and regulations of international law on citizenship and human rights. One manifestation of this is the fact that the Constitution entrusts the issues of citizenship and political asylum to the President - the guarantor of human and civil rights and liberties.

The President’s powers in dealing with citizenship issues is set out in the federal law “On Citizenship.” The President ensures the development of a uniform state policy on citizenship, based on relevant legislation and the practical activities of governmental bodies responsible for these issues. Under Article 33 of the law on citizenship, the President shall hand down decisions on granting citizenship to foreign nationals and stateless persons, as well as restoring Russian citizenship or granting permission to relinquish it. From 1992 to 2002, the decade this law has been in effect, Russian citizenship was granted - by presidential decree - to 81,800 people, while 164 more gave up their citizenship.

The President establishes a Commission for Citizenship Issues, drawing on representatives of federal authorities, scholars and public figures, working on a voluntary basis, to provide information and analysis on citizenship and asylum issues. The commission also submits proposals to improve relevant legislation and harmonize state policies on citizenship. Under the law, the commission reviews applications submitted to the President and provides him with proposals and draft decrees.

Russian citizenship is playing an increasingly important role in ensuring a stable and cohesive society and a strong state. At the same time, Russia has been changing rapidly and the need to regulate migration is clear. Taking this into account, the President submitted a draft law “On Citizenship,” which was subsequently passed by the State Duma and the Federation Council. The new law is designed to ensure clear-cut constitutional regulation of all citizenship issues and takes a balanced approach to the interests of individuals, society and the state. The new law was intended to introduce significant changes to the system of Russian citizenship, raising it to a qualitatively new level. The new law is in full compliance with the Constitution and international norms concerning citizenship and human rights.

The procedure for granting political asylum to foreign nationals and stateless persons is defined in a statute approved by the President on June 21, 1997. Political asylum can be granted to a person who is being persecuted in his country of origin for social or political activities and/or beliefs that do not contradict the generally accepted democratic principles of the international community. Since the statute came into effect there have been no cases of granting political asylum.

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