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188 New 'Dual Citizens'
YEREVAN (Armenpress)—Some 188 people have been granted
Armenian citizenship, Alvina Zakarian, head of the police
department on passports and visas told reporters on May 7.
One-thousand Armenians from the diaspora have applied for
Armenian citizenship ever since legislative changes in 2007
codified a law on dual citizenship. Dual citizenship was not
permitted in Armenia until 2005, when a constitutional
referendum reversed the ban on holding more than one
citizenship.
The president of the republic has the exclusive authority to
grant dual citizenship. Applications have to be endorsed by
the police and a special presidential commission headed by
Justice Minister Gevorg Danielian before being considered by
the head of state.
According to Zakarian, mostly ethnic Armenians have been
granted Armenian passports since the measure took effect
last year. She said almost 800 other applications are
currently being considered by relevant state bodies. She
added that most of the applicants are citizens of Russia,
Georgia, Iran, and other countries with sizable ethnic
Armenian communities.
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