At its meeting on 21 March, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted the government's Law on Amendments to the Laws of Ukraine "On Citizenship of Ukraine" and "On Ensuring the Functioning of the Ukrainian Language as the State Language" regarding the conditions for granting Ukrainian citizenship 7606.
A total of 281 MPs voted in favour of the law, an LB correspondent reports.
"The full-scale invasion of the territory of Ukraine by the Russian Federation on 24 February 2022 has made adjustments to the state's position on the institution of Ukrainian citizenship, in particular, the establishment of additional conditions for admission to Ukrainian citizenship," the explanatory note says.
Therefore, the law introduces a comprehensive exam on the fundamentals of the Constitution of Ukraine and the history of Ukraine as a condition for admission to Ukrainian citizenship, and brings the requirement for certain categories of persons to speak the state language in line with the Law of Ukraine "On Ensuring the Functioning of the Ukrainian Language as the State Language".
The terms for mastering the state language at the level determined by law are also revised concerning persons who have been granted Ukrainian citizenship as having outstanding services to Ukraine, whose granting of citizenship is of public interest, and who are performing military service under contract in the Armed Forces of Ukraine in accordance with the procedure established by law. Including those who have been awarded a state award or received a temporary residence permit.
"According to the law, persons of these categories must, within two years of being granted Ukrainian citizenship, pass exams on the fundamentals of the Constitution of Ukraine, the history of Ukraine, and the level of proficiency in the state language... It also establishes that failure to fulfil the obligation to pass the exams by these categories of persons is grounds for the loss of Ukrainian citizenship," the note adds.