Russian citizenship may begin to be issued according to birthright
According to the chairman of the Committee for Nationalities of the Russian State Duma (Russian Parliament) Ruslan Balbek, a bill has been introduced in the State Duma that would establish a new principle of obtaining citizenship on the basis of "jus soli" (birthright citizenship) as reported by RIA Novosti.
"The main criterion will be knowledge of the Russian language, as well as connection with the territories of the Soviet Union and the former Russian Empire," Balbek explained.
From the explanatory note to the bill, it follows that the right to be interviewed for recognition as a native speaker of the Russian language will be given to natives or their ascendants from post-Soviet countries that were formerly part of the USSR or the Russian Empire.
The bill has already received a favorable opinion from the State Duma Committee for Nationalities. The list of sponsors of the initiative includes Deputies Konstantin Zaturin and Natalia Poklonskaya.
"Jus Soli" (Translation: “Right of Soil”) is a legal term conferring the right to acquire citizenship by virtue of birth in the territory of the state.