Ukraine Bans Dual Citizens From Leaving, Imposes Draft

Ukrainians with dual citizenship will no longer be allowed to leave the country and may be drafted into the Armed Forces.

This new regulation, which came into effect on June 1, 2024, impacts American-Ukrainian dual citizens, among others. It isn’t known whether this ban applies to citizens of countries other than the US.

The US Embassy in Ukraine explained that Ukrainian law doesn’t currently recognize dual citizenship.

According to the embassy, American-Ukrainian dual citizens are considered exclusively as Ukrainian citizens while in Ukraine and are subject to the same rights and obligations, including military conscription.

“The US Embassy is limited in our ability to influence Ukrainian law, including the application of martial law and the mobilization law to Ukrainian citizens. If you are in Ukraine and cannot leave the country, shelter in place and obey all local orders,” the official note, posted on the US Embassy website, reads.

“If you are not currently in Ukraine, we strongly recommend against all travel to Ukraine by US citizen males aged 18 to 60 who also have Ukrainian citizenship or a claim to Ukrainian citizenship and who do not wish to stay in Ukraine indefinitely. There is an extremely high risk you will not be allowed to depart, even with a US passport.”

Previously, dual citizens could freely enter and leave Ukraine by deregistering their residence there and registering in the United States.

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With Russia’s full-scale invasion approaching the 1,000-day mark, 3.7 million people have already been displaced inside Ukraine and around 6.7 million have fled as refugees, according to UN figures.

However, under the new regulations, men aged 18 to 60 with dual citizenship are advised to avoid traveling to Ukraine or to renounce their Ukrainian citizenship to avoid being drafted.

There has been no official statement from Ukrainian authorities regarding the departure ban for conscripted men with dual citizenship.

However, on the National Day of Unity in January this year, President Volodymyr Zelensky said he would introduce a new law that would allow dual citizenship to foreigners fighting for Ukraine, except for citizens of the Russian Federation. It is unclear currently how the new regulation and the proposed legislation affect people with both US and Ukrainian citizenship.