The Legal Committee of the Georgian Parliament has started consideration of amendments to the Law "On Georgian Citizenship", which provide for the introduction of the concept of "dual citizenship" in the country, Sputnik Georgia reports..

According to the amendments to the Constitution of Georgia adopted in October 2017, it is forbidden to deprive a person of Georgian citizenship. Until the changes in the organic law on the citizenship of Georgia come into effect, those who have obtained the citizenship of another country will automatically be deprived of the Georgian.

According to the bill, a citizen of Georgia must have the right to dual citizenship under certain conditions.

In the first case, if, before becoming a citizen of another country, a person will receive permission from the Georgian authorities to retain his citizenship. At the same time, he will have to satisfy the following conditions: a family member of a Georgian citizen is a citizen of the state whose citizenship he wants to receive, or he lives and works legally in that country for 5 years.

In addition, already deprived citizenship of Georgia as a result of acquiring the citizenship of another country will have the right within a year after the application of the law to apply to the civil register with a request for the restoration of Georgian citizenship.

Changes will also affect the award of citizenship in an exceptional case. If earlier this issue was decided on the basis of state interests, now the competitor of Georgian citizenship must satisfy the following conditions: a foreigner considers Georgia his homeland and he or his ancestor forced migrants from the territory of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region (South Ossetia), or were poisoned into emigration for political reasons or because of a difficult economic situation.

When assigning citizenship on an exceptional basis, it will also be taken into account whether a foreigner is a representative of the national minority who considers Georgia his homeland, whether he has carried out or is making an investment that makes or will make a significant contribution to the economy of the country or whether the foreigner is successful in sport, science or art if he wants to continue this activity on behalf of Georgia.

Also, the period of compulsory residence in Georgia from 2 to 5 years is extended to obtain Georgian citizenship by the spouse or spouse of a citizen of the country in a simplified manner if they or she know the Georgian language, history and the basis of law.