Russia (bbabo.net), - The Russian government has approved the presidential bill on citizenship. The Cabinet's positive response to the initiative on Wednesday, February 2, was published in the Duma's electronic database. "The bill provides for the improvement of the legal regulation of issues of citizenship of the Russian Federation, taking into account the need to update it. The Government of the Russian Federation supports the bill," the review says.

The bill "On Citizenship of the Russian Federation" was submitted by Russian President Vladimir Putin to the State Duma at the end of December 2021. The main message of this document is to simplify the very procedure for acquiring Russian citizenship. It's not a secret for anyone that at present it is maximally bureaucratic. The bill also provides, for example, a significant reduction in the number of requirements for more than 20 categories of persons when they are admitted to Russian citizenship.

It is also proposed to expand the powers of the head of state to determine the categories of persons who are entitled to a simplified receipt of a Russian passport.

First of all, the new version of the law should simplify the procedure for obtaining citizenship for our compatriots who ended up in other states due to the collapse of the USSR. "Over the past 5 years, deputies have received hundreds of applications from people who consider themselves Russians with a request to assist them in obtaining Russian citizenship. After all, they have faced bureaucratic obstacles. And every year there are more such applications," the Deputy Speaker of the State Duma said Peter Tolstoy.

"The time has come to 'collect stones' and return our compatriots home," the parliamentarian noted.

- The bill is aimed at solving many urgent problems. One of the significant proposals is that the head of state will be able to determine the categories of persons eligible for citizenship in a simplified manner, not only for humanitarian purposes, but also for any other purposes, Vladimir Gruzdev, chairman of the board of the Russian Bar Association, told Rossiyskaya Gazeta.

In addition, according to him, for three categories of citizens - veterans of the Great Patriotic War, persons awarded for special services to the Russian Federation or having a profession or qualification that is in particular demand, the project provides for a new "exceptional procedure" for admission to citizenship.

Applications for granting citizenship in this order will be sent by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the head of the subject of the Russian Federation or the ANO "Russia - the Land of Opportunities". The very same exceptional order will be in charge of the President of Russia.

Gruzdev stressed that, in general, the initiative is designed to make migration policy more effective, making it easier for our compatriots to obtain Russian citizenship in the first place. Those who, due to great historical events, found themselves abroad and are often forced to overcome a lot of bureaucratic obstacles in order to obtain citizenship of the country that they consider their real homeland.

- On the other hand, control over those who apply for citizenship for opportunistic purposes, not loving and not respecting Russia, is being strengthened. Many do not even consider it necessary to learn Russian. Such people often do not show respect for our laws, many of them are ready to participate in riots, even to commit terrorist attacks, - said Gruzdev.

The law provides for the possibility of canceling the act of conferring citizenship for committing a number of crimes for persons who have received citizenship not by birthright, but who have registered it," Gruzdev concluded.

It is worth noting that the presidential draft law provides not only concessions, but also toughening. Thus, the list of crimes, the commission of which entails the termination of the citizenship of the Russian Federation from persons previously admitted to it, is expanding. These are crimes of a terrorist nature, crimes against the state, crimes in the sphere of trafficking in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances. Also, the accepted citizenship can be terminated if false documents were provided when applying for it.

The law should simplify the procedure for obtaining citizenship for our compatriots who ended up in other states due to the collapse of the USSR

The Federation Council also intends to contribute to the wording of the law "On Citizenship of the Russian Federation". Yesterday it became known that the senators are preparing amendments that will be submitted to the second reading of the bill. They involve the withdrawal of Russian citizenship from persons previously admitted to it, and deportation to their homeland for illegal production and trafficking of alcohol. "On behalf of the Federation Council, we want to add to the list of crimes, the commission of which entails the termination of Russian citizenship, the illegal production and circulation of alcoholic products, which lead to fatal consequences, serious consequences for the health of citizens or for the country's budgetary and financial system. To such citizens it is also necessary to take measures for deportation, we also propose this," explained Sergei Ryabukhin, First Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Budget and Financial Markets."About 75% of persons involved in the production of counterfeit alcohol are foreign citizens from neighboring countries," the parliamentarian noted.

According to him, legislators are proposing to deport such persons who are awaiting citizenship of the Russian Federation and who are in Russia on a temporary permit to their homeland.

"Those who have already received Russian citizenship must fully bear criminal and administrative responsibility under Russian law," the deputy stressed.

Ryabukhin noted that the laws of the Russian Federation adopted earlier "kicked out" crime from large-scale production and offenders went "to garages." As a rule, one such "production" employs five or six people, he added.

"Guest workers, if they came here to earn money on blood, if they are ready to commit a group crime, and they pour methanol deliberately, this is a deliberate murder, they should not be granted citizenship and need to be deported," Ryabukhin said, adding that he had already sent the relevant amendments addressed to Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev and hopes to receive a positive response.

"As soon as we receive an answer, we will submit them to the State Duma," he stressed.

According to the Investigative Committee of Russia, in November-December alone, 409 people died from surrogate alcohol.

Earlier, Leonid Kalashnikov, chairman of the Duma Committee on CIS Affairs, Eurasian Integration and Relations with Fellow Countrymen, said that the bill "On Citizenship of the Russian Federation" would be considered by the State Duma as a priority in early 2022. The first reading of the bill is scheduled for February.

About 75% of those involved in the production of counterfeit alcohol are foreigners

Recall that recently it became known that foreigners are planned to be expelled from Russia for gross administrative offenses. The police are working on introducing appropriate changes to the Code of Administrative Offenses, said Valentina Kazakova, head of the Main Directorate for Migration of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation. According to her, expulsion may entail, among other things, a violation of public order. First of all, we are talking about mass fights, which have recently become more frequent.

In 2021, a record number of foreigners received Russian citizenship - more than 656 thousand people. Prior to this, 2010 was considered a record year, when about 500,000 people acquired Russian citizenship. Valentina Kazakova explained that about half of those who acquire Russian citizenship are citizens of Ukraine.

bbabo.Net