An important issue for every Lithuanian immigrant
On May 21 Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda told reporters in the district of Klaipėda that “We must make it possible for our people who have taken the citizenship of other countries to keep the citizenship of Lithuania.” He believes there is every possibility for doing so in 2024 along with the presidential election.
The president added that a lot of effort will need to be put into ensuring that the referendum takes place and the Constitution is amended to allow dual citizenship. He noted that he sees a rather broad consensus and understanding in society that every Lithuanian citizen, no matter in which country and how far from Lithuania they live, must be valued.
The Constitutional Court has held that a possibility for the Lithuanian citizens, who have acquired the citizenship of another state after the restoration of Lithuania’s independence, to hold dual citizenship can only be established by amending the country’s Constitution through a referendum. The dual citizenship referendum was held in Lithuania in May 2019 alongside the first round of the presidential election.
Voter turnout in the referendum on amending Article 12 of the Constitution and expanding dual citizenship stood at 53.16% but the proposed amendment was not adopted as the number of votes was insufficient. Some 72.35% of all voters who came to vote, or 956,564 votes, voted in favor of the proposed amendment, and 25.53% voted against. However, the amendment needed at least half of all eligible voters, or 1,236,203, to vote in favor for it to be adopted.
Pursuant to existing legislation, people who emigrated during the post-independence years are not eligible for dual citizenship, apart from a few exceptions.
News from the Lithuania Daily News Bulletin
