DUAL CITIZENSHIP CONTROLS AND RESTRICTIONS IN RUSSIA

A new Russian law criminalizing the failure to declare foreign passports has raised fears of a fresh Kremlin crackdown on opponents at home, but Russian expatriates technically excluded from the statute are now scrambling to determine whether they must comply as well.

As it turns out, they may not be off the hook quite yet.

The law, which Russian President Vladimir Putin signed on June 4, requires Russian citizens living within Russia's borders to declare any foreign passports or residence permits they possess but excludes Russians "permanently residing" outside the county from the provision.

Hundreds of thousands of Russians living abroad, however, may be forced to choose between either disclosing these foreign ties or formally canceling their Russian residency -- a step some say they are hesitant to take because of potential bureaucratic hassles should they return home.

"If I have to make a choice, there's no way I'm going to cancel my [Russian] residence registration," says Ksenia, a Chicago-area entrepreneur originally from the Moscow region who declines to give her last name because of the political controversy surrounding the legislation.

The law, which introduces criminal fines or community service for failure to comply, has prompted Russian expatriates to seek clarity at their consulates abroad and on social media sites and Internet forums.

Russia's Federal Migration Service, which is tasked with collecting the disclosures, has yet to issue any formal guidance on the law, which takes effect on August 5. Russians affected by the law have 60 days after that date to report foreign passports and residence permits.

https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-expatriates-dual-citizenship-law/25432010.html