Ukrainian Parliament endorses residency pathway for foreign volunteers defending Ukraine
On August 20, the Verkhovna Rada endorsed a bill granting legal status to foreigners and stateless individuals participating in the defense of Ukraine’s territorial integrity and inviolability, reported member of the parliamentary faction of the political party "European Solidarity," Oleksiy Goncharenko. Bill No. 9585 proposes:
- Allowances for obtaining immigration permits or Ukrainian citizenship based on expired passport documents, as well as the possibility of obtaining residence permits for foreigners and stateless individuals defending Ukraine as part of the Territorial Defense Forces or community volunteer formations, thus regulating their legal stay in Ukraine;
- Family members of individuals who have signed contracts for service in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the State Special Transport Service, and the National Guard of Ukraine will have the right to obtain residence permits;
- Russian and Belarusian citizens who obtained Ukrainian citizenship post-February 24, 2020, under the Law of Ukraine "On Citizenship of Ukraine" and committed to renouncing their foreign citizenship will be required to submit a document confirming renunciation within one year after the end or cancellation of martial law if their commitment deadline has expired;
- Individuals who acquired Ukrainian citizenship during martial law and committed to taking examinations on the fundamentals of the Constitution, Ukrainian history, and the state language will be granted two years post-martial law to fulfill their commitment.
As outlined in the explanatory note, the bill aims to legally codify the rights of foreigners and stateless individuals defending Ukraine's territorial integrity, along with their families, to obtain residence permits, immigration permissions, or Ukrainian citizenship.
Previously, President Volodymyr Zelensky submitted a bill on multiple citizenships to the Verkhovna Rada. The bill aims to facilitate the return of citizens who had to leave the country due to the war and allow them to retain their Ukrainian citizenship. The bill could pave the way for millions of ethnic Ukrainians, excluding Russian citizens, to obtain Ukrainian passports.