It will now be possible to get a Belarusian passport not only on the jus soli, commonly referred to as birthright citizenship, principle, BelTA informs.
Belarus will make the law on citizenship more liberal. Soon the procedure for obtaining citizenship under the principle of “soil right” will be simplified, reports Alyaksei Byahun, head of the Department of Citizenship and Migration of the Interior Ministry.
The changes will apply to the following foreigners:
- receive vocational education in Belarus and have lived here for at least 5 years,
- received higher education in Belarus and have been working for at least 3 years,
- has been married to citizens of Belarus for at least 3 years and have Belarusian children,
- persons who have reached the age of 18 and have returned to Belarus for permanent residence,
- children of foreigners permanently residing in Belarus.
At the same time, persons who have participated in extremist or terrorist organizations may be deprived of their citizenship. However, this rule will apply only to those who received a Belarusian passport not by birth.
Alyaksei Byahun notes that an average of about 3 thousand people a year receive Belarusian citizenship. Most of them are citizens of Russia and Ukraine, but there are also more distant countries.
