Half a year after Saeima’s adopted amendments, the government approved the order under which Latvian citizenship will be taken away from people who support countries or people responsible for war crimes.
Amendments passed by the government provide for state security institutions to provide information to the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (PMLP) if a Latvian citizen is found to have committed a violation that justifies taking away his or her citizenship. PMLP will check if the Latvian citizen in question has another country’s citizenship.
Since the adoption of amendments by the Saeima to the Citizenship Law this spring, the Constitution Protection Bureau has not initiated taking away Latvian citizenship from any person.
At the same time, the bureau did not reveal if there are any ongoing inspections involving any suspects.
On 21 April the Saeima passed amendments to the Citizenship Law, regarding the possibility of taking away Latvian citizenship if a person provides support to countries and persons who have engaged in activities that put at risk the territorial integrity of democratic countries, their sovereignty and independence.
Minister of Justice Jānis Bordāns previously invited Minister of the Interior Kristaps Eklons to speed up taking away Latvian citizenship from Russian billionaire Petr Aven.
Aven is included on the list of persons under sanctions for his support of Russia’s actions against Ukraine’s sovereignty and independence.
SAB is not a special service subordinate to the Ministry of the Interior. The bureau is a state security institution subordinated to the Cabinet of Ministers. The bureau’s parliamentary control is carried out by Saeima’s National Security Committee.
The Minister of the Interior is responsible for supervising the State Security Service (VDD). The service explains that, according to the Citizenship Law, information about residents’ activities that may cost them Latvian citizenship, is reported to state security institutions by PMLP.
VDD is an interior security service. This is why the institution recommends taking information about the situation with Russia to the Constitution Protection Bureau.
Saeima’s amendments to the Citizenship Law state that Latvian citizenship can be taken away from a person who provides significant financial, material, propaganda, technological or other forms of support to countries or people who have committed genocide, crimes against peace, crimes against humanity, war crimes and other actions that undermine or threaten territorial integrity, sovereignty, independence or constitutional order of democratic countries.
Latvian citizenship can also be take away if a person participated in aforementioned actions.
Citizenship will be allowed to be taken away if a person does not become stateless as a result. This means this measure can be used on people who have dual citizenship. It cannot be used for persons who support war crimes but for whom Latvian is the only citizenship.
Information regarding residents committing any of the aforementioned activities will be reported to state security institutions.