FOI-R--3990--SE_reducerad

FOI-R--3990--SE
automatic naturalization and, thus, citizenship was a matter of each individual’s
choice. The principle of legal continuity carried strong ethnic connotations due to
the psychological, social and political consequences of its implementation. 73
Moreover, the threat of any possible hindrance to Estonia’s post-independence
development played its part. Resistance movements and the United Council of
Work Collectives had acted actively against Estonian independence and
supported the preservation of Soviet Union. Current leaders of organizations of
Russian compatriots in Estonia include various individuals who opposed
Estonia’s independence in 1991, such as a member of the World Coordination
Council of Russian Compatriots and of the Coordination Council of Compatriots
in Estonia, Andrey Zarenkov, an ex-KGB officer, Vladimir Ilyashevich, and a
council member of the Pushkin Institute, Andrey Krasnoiglasov. 74
Many Russian-Estonians received citizenship during the first half of the 1990s,
when it was granted under favourable conditions to those people who had
supported the campaign to regain independence, particularly to those who had
registered for citizenship before 1 March 1990. However, in 1995, the Riigikogu
adopted a new and more stringent citizenship act, increasing the required
residence period from two to five years, and adding a separate examination on
the Constitution and the Citizenship Act to the existing language test
requirement. Unsurprisingly, the number of naturalizations decreased in the
following two years—a figure that can also be explained in part by Moscow’s
decision to simplify the procedures for stateless persons to obtain Russian
passports. Some preferred Russian citizenship for practical reasons, for example,
people who lived near the border in north-east (Narva) or south-east (Setomaa)
Estonia or had relatives in Russia. It was much easier and cheaper to travel from
Estonia to Russia for a person with Russian citizenship.
There was much greater interest in obtaining Estonian citizenship after Estonia’s
accession to the European Union. However, when the EU granted the right to
visa-free travel to all permanent residents – an alien’s passport given to noncitizens
is recognized by the EU as valid for visa-free travel according to
Regulation 1932/2006/EC – this interest dwindled. Moreover, in a Presidential
Decree dated 17 June 2007, Russia allowed its compatriots living in Estonia and
Latvia to enter Russia without a visa, which decreased the interest in determining
citizenship even further. Consequently, those who have a Russian or an alien’s
passport in Estonia can currently enjoy visa-free travel to both the EU and
73 Kruusvall Juri, Vetik Raivo, Berry W. John (2009): The Strategies of Inter-Ethnic Adaptation of
Estonian Russians, Studies of Transition States and Societies, Vol 1.
74 Juhan Kivirahk, Nerijus Maliukevičius, Dmytro Kondratenko, Olexandr Yeremeev, Radu Vrabie,
Nana Devdariani, Mariam Tsatsanashvili, Nato Bachiashvili, Tengiz Pkhaladze, Gatis Pelnēns,
Andis Kudors, Mārtiņš Paparinskis, Ainārs Dimants, Ainārs Lerhis (2009): The “Humanitarian
Dimension”of Russian Foreign Policy Toward Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine, and the Baltic States,
Riga.
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