Topic: Rights of Stateless Persons
Country: Czech Republic
Delegate Name: Madison Emond
School: Fishers High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Czech Republic position papers GLIMUN 2016 committees
The Czech Republic believes that it is in everybody’s best interest to allow immigrants citizenship.
The essence of the institution of citizenship does not change. Citizenship is still a bond between an individual and the Czech state. In terms of foreign nationals' integration, citizenship is the highest residential status, giving its holder full rights (the law does not recognize any differences between those who have acquired the citizenship at birth and those who have been granted it). Citizenship is irrevocable in the Czech Republic, with the exception of a review of a naturalisation procedure or, in the case of a declaration of nationality, a reopening of a procedure with respect to an improper citizenship acquisition within three years. It is still valid that a child, who has a parent who is a Czech citizen (the only exception will be for children born out of wedlock whose father is a citizen of the Czech Republic) is entitled to acquire permanent Czech citizenship directly ex lege, regardless of whether he/she produces Czech documents, and even regardless of whether he/she knows about their Czech citizenship, or if, along with Czech citizenship, he/she also acquires citizenship from another state, for instance, through their other parent, or by reason of their place of birth.
Citizenship may still be granted (with minor exceptions) to persons who have had a permanent residence in the Czech Republic.
Granting Czech nationality (which is only one of the modes of citizenship acquisition) remains the authority of the Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic and applicants may still not be legally entitled to it. The Ministry will consider a number of aspects of foreign national’s life (The Czech Republic may still be one of the toughest states for gaining citizenship), in particular, fulfillment of legal obligations in a number of areas, such as, revenue transparency (unlike the procedure of granting permanent residence where no particular amount of income plays a role here; it should only be plausible that the foreign national is able to make ends meet from their reported income), independence of the state social support system or no requirement for assistance in material needs. The Ministry of the Interior will also continue to determine whether a foreign national has circumvented the Foreigners´ Act (for example, a marriage of convenience, etc.).
In order to foster the rights of stateless people in the Czech Republic, the Czech government must stay true to the laws it has already established regarding immigration and citizenship.
