The fruits of the law of citizenship: a Lithuanian family in the USA was left without a Lithuanian father
During the live show “Conversations with Citizenship” of the portal Pilietybė.lt, Auksė Motto, Chairwoman of the Education Council of the Lithuanian Lithuanian Community, shared the following comment: “In September Lithuanian citizenship and must return passports. “
She also shared 2021. September 7 Order No. signed by the Minister of the Interior 1V-713, by which 52 people lost their Lithuanian citizenship because they acquired the citizenship of another state.
Gold Moto photo / 2021. September 7 Order signed by the Minister of the Interior “On Loss of Citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania Upon Acquisition of Citizenship of Another State”
Gold Moto photo / 2021. September 7 Order signed by the Minister of the Interior “On Loss of Citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania Upon Acquisition of Citizenship of Another State”
The Pilietybė.lt portal succeeded only with the persons in one of the mentioned documents, who agreed to share their experience anonymously. In order to protect the identity of a person who has agreed to share a painful story, the text will contain the general words “person”, “man” and “Lithuanian”.
This has never been reported anywhere a person has acquired the citizenship of another state.
A Lithuanian family was created behind the Atlantic
A man born in Lithuania and acquired Lithuanian citizenship by birth to the portal Pilietybė.lt that he left for the USA more than twenty years ago. He just graduated from the Atlantic, holds a senior position in an American company, but also started a Lithuanian family: he married a Lithuanian citizen met in the USA, raises a child together, takes him to a Lithuanian school, supports it, and actively participates in the Lithuanian community.
You managed to preserve Lithuanian citizenship because there are deportees among your relatives. He was able to retain Lithuanian citizenship for a child born in the USA, and acquired Lithuanian and US citizenship by birth.
According to the current Law on Citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania, all children, by acquiring the citizenship of Lithuania and another state at birth, or if Lithuanian citizenship was acquired by birth, and other states – until the age of 18, may retain both citizenships for life.
“I felt like the ground was slipping under my feet”
The Lithuanian told the portal Pilietybė.lt that he accepted US citizenship by hanging on: “After graduating from America, an opportunity opened up for finding a good job and moving up the career ladder. It was important to work well, to show what you know and do all the work responsibly. Working honestly and diligently, I have earned the respect and trust of managers, who can get higher positions, to start implementing the company’s projects in America. But to achieve that, it was necessary to have American citizenship. “
And one Friday in September, after a work evening and a fairly successful week, was hit by a homeland.
I look inside the envelope – it has another folded sheet that says that I am being deprived of Lithuanian citizenship.
“I joined to view the post office and an open envelope caught my eye,” the Lithuanian told the Pilietybė.lt portal. – Without waiting for anything, I tore open and, after reading, I did not immediately understand – a long list with the initiative, dates of birth and written deprivation of citizenship. I look inside the envelope – it has another folded sheet that says that I am being deprived of Lithuanian citizenship. I felt like the ground was slipping from under my feet.
Why are Lithuanians deprived of citizenship? Why are we being removed from the list of insiders? I have become a stranger to Lithuania and everyone on that list is already a stranger. 52 people. And so much has been said and written that Lithuanians in the world are one Lithuania … ”
“Lithuania is my home – a port of peace”
He became the only member of his family without Lithuanian citizenship and told the Lithuanian portal Pilietybė.lt that he never left Lithuania.
“I have many relatives in Lithuania with whom I maintain close contact. My family and I return to Lithuania every 2-3 years and spend 3-4 weeks each.
For me, Lithuania is home – a port of peace. Whenever we return to Lithuania with my family, we see how it is becoming more beautiful and changing. We travel around Lithuania and for everything, when we can return to it forever. But now we will see what the future parodies…, ”said the Lithuanian, who was left without his native citizenship.
“Sorry, you are a Lithuanian citizen”
Man did not hide that it is both painful and sad, and at the same time angry: “Lithuania and its people are not to blame for the games of power. However, it is angry that Lithuanian politicians do not understand how important it is for people living in other countries to preserve Lithuanian citizenship. “
Although left without his native citizenship, he does not lose hope that the law, which causes great pain to many Lithuanians and does not respond to Lithuania’s interests in today’s world, will be changed.
“I really still hope that in the current government, lawyers, members of the Seimas, who will dare to change the law and can preserve citizenship. After all, the amended law would save more than a million Lithuanians. After all, no matter where you live, a Lithuanian will always be Lithuanian. It is very important for me to be Lithuanian – I was born Lithuanian and I will die Lithuanian, ”said the current Lithuanian citizen, who is a former citizen of the Republic of Lithuania.
I really still have hope that lawyers, members of the Seimas, who have dared to change the law and preserve citizenship, will come to power now.
“I continue to live in the hope that one day I will receive another letter from the Lithuanian Migration Department -” Sorry, you are a Lithuanian citizen, “the narrator concluded.
The Citizenship Act is based on the 1989 realities
After the restoration of the independence of the Republic of Lithuania, the issues of Lithuanian citizenship were resolved in accordance with the 1989 November 3 adopted citizenship law. Subsequently, three amendments to the citizenship laws were adopted, which entered into force in 1991, 2003 and 2003. and 2011
Now valid for 2011. April 4 The Law on Citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania, which has entered into force and amended several, defines 11 cases when a citizen of the Republic of Lithuania may also be a citizen of another state.
Until 2016 Decrees on the loss of citizenship were signed by the President of Lithuania. Article 32 of the current Law on Citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania states that decisions on the loss of citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania are made by the Minister of the Interior.
Acting Minister Agnė Bilotaitė, following the procedure authorized by law, signed 32 orders this year, during which Lithuania lost 909 people. More than three days later.
The fruits of the law are minus three citizens every day
As the portal Pilietybė.lt in 2021. October 8 The request for the loss of citizenship was answered by the Deputy Minister of the Interior Arnoldas Abramavičius, in 2021 786 people lost the citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania. True, October 12th. and 14 October. The Minister signed three more orders, the citizenship of which was lost by 123 people, the absolute majority – born in Lithuania.
In less than ten months of 2021, Lithuania lost 909 citizens. More than three people every day.
The Deputy Minister of the Interior also stated that in 2020. Lithuania lost 1268 citizens in 2019. – 1101.
The fruits of the current law on citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania: in three years – minus three Lithuanian citizens. every day.