The Cuban regime has published its new citizenship bill that includes significant changes such as the possibility of renouncing Cuban citizenship and the government’s ability to withdraw citizenship from individuals under certain criteria.
The document is not what many exiles expected: the new law will not allow Cubans to enter the island with a second nationality. When referring to “Effective Citizenship,” the government clarifies: “The acquisition of another citizenship does not imply the loss of Cuban citizenship; Cuban citizens, while they are in the national territory, are governed by that condition…”
On this subject, the text of the project establishes the requirements to renounce Cuban citizenship, which include being over 18 years of age, having another citizenship, being abroad, not having debts with the Cuban State and not serving a criminal sentence.
“I think the most complicated thing is a requirement for debts that can be maintained with the Cuban State. They are not only tax debts. They can be debts in relation to crimes. The renunciation of citizenship will become effective only when the Cuban authorities accept it,” commented Eloy Viera, Cuban lawyer, contributing author to El Toque Magazine.
Those who renounce citizenship could regain it after five years if they request it. However, Article 3 of the project grants the regime the ability to deprive of citizenship to people accused of multiple crimes, including “attacking the territorial integrity of the Cuban State.”
“They do not recognize the existence of a Cuban nationality. They only recognize the power of the Communist Party of Cuba and feel they have the authority to define nationality as established by communism,” said Orlando Gutiérrez Boronat, leader of the Cuban Democratic Directorate in exile. And that is not an isolated criterion. Activists and jurists fear that this measure could be used as a weapon against opponents.
“Leave the flag open so that a single person can determine when to deprive anyone of their citizenship. Without a spring, without a legal mechanism that can be used to combat such a decision. And that is very dangerous because today we already have lists of terrorists,” says Viera.
The project also opens the door to the naturalization of foreigners residing in Cuba. It is expected that the proposed citizenship law, along with the migration law, will be approved without surprises by the ruling Assembly in July, and its regulations will subsequently be published.
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