From: thietaniemi@cc.helsinki.fi
Newsgroups: talk.politics.soviet
Subject: Re: Enigmatic double citizenship in ESTONIA
Date: 30 Sep 92 09:55:00 GMT
Organization: University of Helsinki


In article <9209291901.AA17657@feds66.Prime.COM>, 
dleschin@FEDS66.PRIME.COM ("", Dmitri Leschiner) writes:
> In article <1992Sep27.155142.1@cc.helsinki.fi>,
> Tapani Hietaniemi (thietaniemi@cc.helsinki.fi) writes:
 
--------------------------------------------------------------
STILL, UPDATING THE DATA ON ESTONIAN
DOUBLE CITIZENSHIP 
---------------------------------------------------------------
 
>>- The contemporary Estonian legislation (1992) rules out the possibility of
>>a double citizenship. There will not be any such things in the future.
 
> Does it mean descendants of refugees will not get citizenship automatically
> any more, --  <Sorry, I wiped out the rest by mistake! But the question
remains the same.- TH>

It should mean that. There is a desperate need for new legislation. The 
Riigikogu (The Estonian parliament) has the ball now. We must see and wait.
 
>>- However, the refugee government of Rei (in Stockholm) that considered
>>itself to have the mandate of the Estonian presidency, declared during the
>>second world war, that the Estonian (citizen) refugees in exile can
>>maintain the other citizenship they have got without losing the
>>Estonian citizenship.
 
>>- At the same time, it was declared that even the descendants of the
>>refugees do have the citizenship (not just the right to it, as I
>>mistakenly wrote before).
 
> While estonians being sent in Siberia (or went in Siberia, sometimes)
> hardly can be called refugees, I'm not sure they (and their descendants)
> will be deprived of right to maintain Russian citizenship without losing
> Estonian one, if they want to, according to that decree (or would they?).

When Stalin occupied Estonia, some Estonians MIGHT have escaped to Moscow
or Magadan in Siberia. I they appear in Estonian courts and 
insist to maintain the Soviet citizenship they got, they should win their 
case easily. :)  Citizenship of Russia (1991-) is of course, another matter.
The point of emergence was, that there will be no new double citizenships
any more.

> Anyway, it does not seem
> that Rei goverment decree is no longer acting law. So, Estonians abroad,
> rush to give birth to your children, while it's not late yet!:-)

It is still acting law. The outlines of the decree have been recognized
by the Supreme Soviet of Estonia. The re-established Estonian government
will change the legislation in the very near future, when it will
be holding it's first sessions.

>>- This implies, that around the world there exists an undefined amount
>>of "Estonian citizens" (about 100 000, but no one knows for sure) that
>>were entitled to vote in the previous elections (because of the decision
>>made by the refugee government in Stockholm).
 
>>- 8.500 of them used their right to vote. The Estonian elections were
>>organized in countries that allowed it (like in Canada, Sweden and Russia)
>>but not in countries that have prohibited "foreign" elections
>>(as Germany and Switzerland).
>>45 Estonian citizens even casted their ballot in Moscow.
 
> Well, if their descendants will still acquire automatically Estonian
> citizenship, we will soon see plenty of them not only in Moscow, but
> everywhere around the world. I would even guess the amount of those
> holding double citizenship will soon outnumber the amount of non-citizens
> living in Estonia (another potential source of that threat, eh?).

You are right indeed. It is absurd that some John Johnson in Phoenix, Arizona,
who has the citizenship of Estonia, but does neither know a word of Estonian or 
Russian, nor is aware where Estonia is, can cast his ballot and decide whether
Estonia should declare war against Finland or anything!

But, for the legality of the first elections even his right to vote had
to be guaranteed. In reality, John Johnsons did not do much harm. They
did not even know about the elections. 

I'll bet 100 Estonian crowns that the Estonians will not allow John Johnson 
vote in the next elections!
 
> Thank you very much again, Tapani, for posting this detailed and valuable
> information.
> Dmitry

Thank you, I appreciate that. Even finding the facts about the new Estonian 
legislation has been a hard work, it has been a pleasure to discuss with you!

Tapani
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
A Finnish mini-lesson: "Tapani" is a name with Christian origin:
Stefanus -> Stephen -> Steven (-> Istvan) -> Staffan -> Tapani.
Choose your variant! They are synonyms.
Newsgroups: talk.politics.soviet