The Ukrainian government has published a list of countries whose citizens may apply for a Ukrainian passport without having to renounce their existing citizenship. Under this measure, local Ukrainian citizens will also be allowed to request documents from another member state — BBC Ukraine reported, in a story picked up in Hungary by Index.
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The currently approved list includes the United States, Canada, Germany, Poland, and the Czech Republic. Citizens of these countries may request a Ukrainian passport through a simplified procedure.
Kyiv justified its decision by stating that the largest Ukrainian communities abroad live in these countries. According to the news outlet, the measure could be introduced in more than 30 countries, and the list will gradually expand. The pilot phase will begin in January.
I am very curious how many people in the mentioned countries will actually apply for a Ukrainian passport — and what they intend to do with it. It is inconceivable that these people would want to return home while the war is ongoing.
If they did, conscription-age men could easily be taken into the army, leaving families without fathers or husbands. Not to mention that the standard of living in the mentioned countries is much higher than in Ukraine, and I do not believe that anyone would want to go “home” to live in hardship. And if someone truly wanted to fight for Ukraine, they could have done so (or could still do so) as a mercenary.
And beyond that — if a Ukrainian currently living in the United States or Germany were to return, what would they do? In the midst of Russian bombings, no one is truly safe; the enemy attacks with so many drones and missiles that they could easily hit the wrong targets, including civilian homes. Would anyone really risk that, after having lived in peace in the West until now? I have my doubts…
I suppose this initiative will be about as successful as the one launched nearly a year ago. Back then, we wrote that Ukraine had embarked on a large-scale program to lure its citizens back home. Index, citing Unian, explained a year ago that according to various estimates, roughly 30 million Ukrainians may be living abroad, so the government launched an ambitious plan to bring them back.
Oleksii Chernyshov, head of the Ministry of National Unity, stated during a visit to Poland that they were beginning “the implementation of a broad strategy of nationhood, identity, and multiple citizenships, which will enable the Ukrainian nation to return to its homeland.” I would not say this program has borne fruit…
