Estonian prime minister says residents obtaining Russian citizenship after start of full-scale war are security threat, could face deportation

Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas has said the government is looking into legal ways to deport individuals who decide to obtain Russian citizenship, reports Estonian publication Postimees. Kallas said that anyone choosing to obtain Russian citizenship amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine showed their readiness to join the Russian army in the event of mobilization and was a clear security risk. According to Kallas, this security threat could form the basis of legal proceedings for deportation.

The Estonian government began discussing the possibility of deporting individuals seeking Russian citizenship after amendments simplifying Russian citizenship law came into effect in October, Postimees reports. Estonian authorities emphasized that the new measures will not affect those already living in Estonia with a Russian passport. Estonia does not allow dual citizenship, so the planned restrictions will target former USSR citizens living in Estonia who have not obtained any citizenship, notes Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. As of January 2023, there were more than 64,000 former USSR citizens without citizenship in the country, or 4.7 percent of the population.