Ukrainian President has granted citizenship to 55 Russian nationals since the beginning of the year
President Petro Poroshenko granted Ukrainian citizenship to 405 foreign citizens and stateless persons, including 55 Russians and 54 Syrians, and also terminated the Ukrainian citizenship of 1,567 persons in the first half of 2017, as stated in the response of the Administration of the President and the State Migration Service to the request of Ukrainski Novyny.
"From January 1, 2017, to June 30, 2017, 405 persons were granted Ukrainian citizenship," the presidential administration's response says.
The State Migration Service clarified that among those who were granted Ukrainian citizenship in the first 6 months of 2017, 373 people had foreign citizenship, and 47 were stateless persons.
In particular, in the current year, Poroshenko granted Ukrainian citizenship to 55 Russian citizens, 54 Syrians, 47 stateless persons, 44 citizens of Armenia, 35 Afghanis, and 31 Moldovan citizens.
Another 17 who received Ukrainian citizenship in 2017 were citizens of Iran, 16 Georgians, 15 from Lebanon, 11 from Uzbekistan, and 10 from Jordan.
Poroshenko also granted Ukrainian citizenship to nine citizens of Iraq, eight citizens of Azerbaijan, seven Egyptians, six Pakistanis and Nigerians, five citizens of Turkmenistan, four from Belarus and Kazakhstan, three from Turkey and Vietnam, two from Algeria and Tunisia, and one from the USA, Brazil, Lithuania, Tajikistan, Côte d'Ivoire, Togo, Libya, Morocco, Sudan, and Palestine.
During the same time period, Poroshenko terminated the citizenship of almost 1,600 thousand Ukrainians.
"During this period, Ukrainian citizenship was terminated for 1,567 persons," the administration said. In particular, the citizenship of 1,280 persons was terminated due to their withdrawal from Ukrainian citizenship, 19 due to loss of citizenship, and 268 on based on international treaties.
In 2016, Poroshenko granted citizenship to 809 foreigners and stateless persons, including 131 Russians. Since June 7, 2014 (the day of the inauguration of the President) until January 1, 2017, Poroshenko has terminated the citizenship of 17,805 people.