Russian-language speakers anywhere in the former Soviet Union are now eligible for fast-track Russian citizenship thanks to a new law signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin on April 21. According to political analysts in Central Asia, the legislation is aimed at boosting Russia’s influence in Ukraine and other ex-Soviet states. In Kyrgyzstan, Russia’s new citizenship policy has received mixed reactions. While some see it as a way out of poverty and political instability, others argue it will result in mass emigration and could even threaten Kyrgyzstan’s sovereignty. Under the new citizenship rules, applicants are required to demonstrate native-level proficiency of the Russian language. They must also prove they have been born or are the direct descendant of someone born in the territory of the former Soviet Union. But most importantly, they must also renounce their current citizenship.
Moscow will speed up the application process, reducing the wait to just three months. Under previous regulations, it could take up to two years. At the same time, Russia has decided to make it tougher for migrant workers to obtain and renew their residence and work permits.
Marat Kazakpaev, a political scientist at Bishkek’s Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University, told EurasiaNet.org that Moscow is signalling that “it doesn’t need migrants; it needs new citizens”.
Back in Russia, Andrei Grozin, head of the Central Asia Department at the CIS Institute in Moscow, told EurasiaNet.org that if the new citizenship legislation is fully implemented it will hurt Russia’s economy because the country is already inundated with migrants.
Another view comes from the deputy director of Bishkek’s Adilet legal clinic, Lyudmila Arapova. An expert on citizenship law, Arapova believes the new rules will encourage more Kyrgyz to seek Russian citizenship in order to claim Russian social welfare funds.