The Metropolitan of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate is losing all the rights he had as a Ukrainian citizen. Now he needs to register his place of residence as a foreigner and obtain a residence and work permit.
This was stated in a comment to LB.ua by Serhiy Vlasenko, a member of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine from the Fatherland faction.
According to Vlasenko, it is necessary to clearly distinguish between two concepts – deprivation and termination of citizenship:
“Deprivation of citizenship is prohibited by the Constitution of Ukraine. But the President of Ukraine can terminate the citizenship of persons who have voluntarily obtained a passport of another state and have not regulated their status regarding Ukrainian citizenship,” the deputy explains.
According to him, it was on this basis that the citizenship of Ihor Kolomoyskyy, Viktor Medvedchuk, Hennadiy Korban and others was previously terminated. If such a person has not renounced their other citizenship, their Ukrainian citizenship is terminated by presidential decree.
Serhiy Vlasenko suggests that Metropolitan Onufriy may go to court to challenge the decision of the Head of State.
“In such cases, the key issue is the presence of another passport. If the court finds that he does indeed have one, the decree will not be declared illegal and will remain in force. If there is no second citizenship, there is a chance that the decree will be declared illegal,” says the deputy.
Vlasenko added that even if a person wants to renounce Russian citizenship, it is not easy to do so: “It’s not just a matter of coming and submitting an application. It is a long, complicated, bureaucratic procedure that requires time, effort and personal involvement. I know people who have gone through this,” says the MP.
After the termination of citizenship, Metropolitan Onufriy is automatically considered a foreigner in Ukraine, emphasises MP Vlasenko.
“He loses all the rights he had as a citizen of Ukraine. Now he needs to register his place of residence as a foreigner, obtain a residence permit and a work permit. This applies to everyone without exception. In fact, he has to go through all the same procedures as any Russian citizen who comes to Ukraine,” he added.
Regarding the possible exchange of Onufriy for Ukrainian prisoners, Serhiy Vlasenko stated:
“An exchange is only possible for persons for whom there are legal grounds: conviction, criminal proceedings, or prisoner of war status. And the consent of such a person to the exchange. As far as I know, Onufriy is not currently involved in any criminal proceedings. Therefore, no exchange can take place at this time,” the deputy emphasised.
- Metropolitan Onufriy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) has been stripped of his Ukrainian citizenship. The relevant decree was signed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.