Lithuania Proposes Stripping Citizenship from Dual Nationals Supporting Aggressor States

A group of Lithuanian lawmakers from the Homeland Union (TS-LKD)—including Agnė Bilotaitė, Laurynas Kasčiūnas, Dalia Asanavičiūtė, Arvydas Anušauskas, and Žygimantas Pavilionis—has proposed a new bill to revoke or block citizenship for dual nationals who support aggressor states or threaten national security.

The proposal would apply to all dual citizens, regardless of how they obtained their Lithuanian passport. Individuals falling under this category would be barred from acquiring, regaining, or holding Lithuanian citizenship, and those who already possess it could have it revoked.

“They are not seeking Lithuanian citizenship out of patriotism or ancestral ties, but to evade sanctions,” said MEP Dalia Asanavičiūtė, referencing cases involving Russian citizens and their descendants. She emphasized the bill aims to ensure accountability among all dual citizens and that it would not affect individuals holding only one citizenship, in line with Lithuania’s commitment to the Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness.

In 2023, Lithuania had already amended its citizenship laws to allow revocation of citizenship granted by exception if the individual publicly supports regimes threatening Lithuania, the EU, or their allies.

Extension of Sanctions on Russia and Belarus

In a related move, Lithuania’s Parliament recently extended sanctions on Russian and Belarusian nationals for another year. Under the updated rules, Russian citizens traveling to Russia or Belarus more than once every three months risk losing their legal residency in Lithuania. However, these restrictions do not apply to Belarusian nationals following a decision during the final vote.

The proposed legislation and extended sanctions reflect Lithuania’s ongoing effort to strengthen national security and curb the influence of hostile foreign actors.