Some of the troubles caused in Slovakia by the introduction of the so-called Citizenship Act will soon be sorted as the government plans to return citizenship to over 900 or so people who lost it as a result wrangling between Hungary and Slovakia.
In 2010, Slovakia essentially prohibited dual citizenship to its citizens as a way of preventing the large Hungarian ethnic minority here from taking up the offer of Hungary’s PM Viktor Orban to receive citizenship also there as of 2011. The rash reaction meant many Slovaks all over the world had to halt their citizenship applications in other countries, while many went ahead anyway and lost their Slovak citizenship as a result.
Now, as of 1 February, those stripped of their citizenship could get it back with a new regulation from the Ministry of Interior. Applications have to be made and will be assessed based on permanent residence, so those with permanent residence in the other country will have their Slovak citizenship restored.
The law has been subject to debate ever since, with various revisions proposed, but only proposed, so now the Ministry of Interior promises to look at amending the law.
I can’t see there being endless queues of people wanting to regain their SVK nationality. Almost anybody with a spare brain cell is doing a flit to foreign parts and is all too eager to gain their host country’s citizenship.
The issue of Slovaks having to apply for, or prove citizenship because some distant relative was deaned as being an alien is truly sad.
Job creation scheme, rank stupidity or blatant discrimination? …… probably all three.
Do you pay taxes on the property? It seems odd that you couldn’t even get like a green card(work student)I think it probably will even get harder.
I find this interesting.Sure hope an end is forth coming. My grandfather’ s papers are from Austria Hungary time period. Yet he was born in Slovakia.But it has never been recorded that way. I guess that is what war does.
Interesting Kathleen. I imagine he was born late 1800’s or early 1900’s?
My grandparent’s documents despite being present day SK are in Hungarian is well due to Austro-Hungarian area pre-Trianon. In Blava at the Ministri Vnutra they will give you a “Slovak citizenship doc for your grandpa” with the Slovak name of the village instead of the Hungarian name.
BUT if you were born between 1949-1969, you will have to take the route of hell of naturalization over descent with all the insane paperwork and no guidelines or promises. I own my grandparent’s land and have PR in SK for over 2 years now and waiting for the laws to change. It seems like age discrimination to me.
Law in question is: j. jeden z jeho rodičov bol v čase jeho narodenia československým štátnym občanom a druhý cudzincom a podľa §1 ods. 2 zákona č. 194/1949 Zb. o nadobúdaní a strácaní československého štátneho občianstva rodič – československý štátny občan nepožiadal o vyslovenie súhlasu krajský národný výbor s nadobudnutím československého štátneho občianstva a má na území Slovenskej republiky nepretržitý pobyt najmenej dva roky bezprostredne predchádzajúce podaniu žiadosti o udelenie štátneho občianstva Slovenskej republiky
One small step and many more to go. What about those with one Slovak parent but were born between 1949-1969? Still not allowed to have citizenship through descent and must go through the hell and mess of naturalization.
YET, Czech, Hungary and Poland have all updated this law…Slovak is last to make any changes since 1993! Veľmi zlý.