For many EU countries, the issue of finding ways to find and retain highly qualified and simply "desirable" immigrants has been a very important topic for many years. Wars and crises have become suppliers of such desirable immigrants to the EU. Ukraine has not become an exception.
Currently, Ukraine has a single citizenship defined by law. As long as millions of Ukrainians are forced to stay outside Ukraine, Ukraine needs to think about ways to motivate people to return to help rebuild Ukraine. Europe is already considering how to make the future of highly skilled and employable migrants more attractive. For example, on 19 May 2023, the German Federal Ministry of the Interior posted the text of a draft law on citizenship on the website of the 16 states of Germany for consultations. The law will allow multiple citizenships and simplify the path to German citizenship. As a rule, naturalization will be possible in five years instead of the traditional eight; in case of special integration achievements, the period of preliminary residence may be reduced to three years. In the EU, Germany often sets the direction of development for EU member states, so we can expect similar legislative initiatives from other EU states.
Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser explained why Germany is changing course and allowing multiple citizenships: “We want people who have become part of our society to be able to help shape our country on a democratic basis. Good examples such as Canada show us that this perspective is also crucial for attracting the skilled workers we desperately need...Many immigrants feel German but do not want to completely sever their ties to their country of origin. In the future, they will no longer be forced to give up part of their identity. We are implementing a long-overdue paradigm shift and allowing multiple citizens... This applies to people who speak German very well, have achieved outstanding results in their work, or are engaged in volunteer activities” (Das Bundesministerium des Innern und für Heimat, 19 May 2023).
Today, Ukraine needs to actively monitor cases of dual citizenship, in particular, using the potential of checkpoints when leaving Ukraine, for which purpose special software should be developed and launched. According to open sources of information, multiple citizenships of Ukrainians are not uncommon, and in many cases, Ukrainian citizens use different passports to have a wider range of employment, social, financial, and other opportunities. At the same time, multiple citizenships may lead to the fact that such persons acquire and exercise the right and obligation to undergo military and special training in neighbouring states without the knowledge of the Ukrainian authorities. With the help of SWOT analysis, the problem of what risks, prospects, and opportunities the policy of many EU countries to attract desired migrants from Ukraine brings has been analyzed. Using the specific examples of migrants from Mariupol, it is possible to trace the extent to which EU countries' policies are successful today.
