The privileged who have a dual citizenship

The Lithuanian Human Rights Committee accepted the amendments on Wednesday. The aim of the document is to ensure that all family members (parents, children, grandchildren) are able to maintain the Lithuanian citizenship at birth on equal terms in case they possess a citizenship of another country from birth.

As the author of the amendments MP Armina Lydeka claims, her goal is to ensure the continuity in the possession of the Lithuanian citizenship and to take care after Lithuanian identity and links with Lithuania with the use of family bonds.

The document states that a dual citizenship may be owned by the individuals who got both citizenships at birth and by their children. Moreover, after 21st birthday their grandchildren may decide which citizenship they would like to keep, either the Lithuanian one or the citizenship of another country.

In the author’s opinion, the amendments could be a way to keep the citizens and to strengthen the emotional bonds of such people with Lithuania.

The current Lithuanian law forbids having a dual citzenship: if a person gets a citizenship of another country, they are usually deprived of the Lithuanian citizenship.

The Lithuanian constitution states that “except for the special cases, no one can be a Lithuanian citizen and a citizen of another country at the same time”.

According to the citizenship law currently in force, only those who left Lithuania before 1990 and those who got the citizenship at birth or after marriage with a Lithuanian citizen are allowed to have a dual citizenship. However, the ones who have a dual citienship after coming of age should choose which citizenship they would like to keep.