Ukrainians treated as ‘foreigners’ and stripped of all rights in Russian-occupied Ukraine

From 1 January 2025, Ukrainians living in occupied Mariupol and other parts of Ukraine openly occupied since 2022 will be treated as ‘foreigners’ by the Russian aggressor state.   Those who have refused to take Russian citizenship will not receive pensions or any social benefits, with the invaders also making it significantly harder to find employment.

None of this is strictly new as Russia has been foisting its citizenship on Ukrainian residents of any part of Ukraine which fell under its occupation back in 2014.  Moscow was, however, a little more cautious during the first years of its occupation of Crimea and only dropped all pretence with respect to its proxy ‘Donetsk and Luhansk people’s republics’ [‘DPR’, ‘’LPR’]] in February 2022.  Since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the methods have become far more brazen, with Ukrainians living on their own Ukrainian territory to now be treated as ‘foreign nationals’. 

On 11 December 2022, the so-called ‘LPR parliament’ passed a ‘law’ banning payment of any pensions or social benefits to those who have refused to take Russian citizenship from 1 January 2025.   The Eastern Human Rights Group reports that a similar ban was imposed on 12 December for the so-called ‘Donetsk people’s republic’ via a ‘decree’ from its Russian-installed ‘head’ Denis Pushilin.  In occupied parts of Kherson oblast the same ban was imposed by a decision from the equally illegitimate ‘head’ of the occupation administration Volodymyr Saldo.  People are told in occupied Kherson oblast that, if they want social or pension payments to be reinstated, they must submit applications for Russian citizenship to the migration service and present the Russian passport received.

All of these measures are in accordance with an instruction from the head of Russia’s government to stop any such payments from 1 January 2025.

The Mariupol 0629.com.ua reported on 24 December that the occupation ‘interior ministry’ have stated that, from 1 January 2025, residents of Mariupol who have not taken Russian citizenship, will be treated as ‘foreigners’.  The list of fundamental rights that Mariupol residents will thus be deprived of includes free medical care.  The process for finding employment will also be made more difficult, and such Ukrainians unwilling to take the aggressor state’s citizenship will be taxed at a higher rate.

In flagrant violation of its obligations as an occupying state, Russia is treating Ukrainians as ‘foreigners’ and demanding that they either take Russian citizenship,  be added to the invader’s ‘migration register’, or receive a ‘temporary residence permit’ to live in their own country.  Without such a ‘permit’, Ukrainians will only be able to stay on the occupied territory (“in Russia” according to Russian-speak) for a maximum of 90 days in a year.

As reported, Russia began aggressively foisting its citizenship on residents of occupied Donetsk; Luhansk; Kherson and Zaporizhzhia oblasts soon after its fake referendum in September 2022.  While claiming that this farce at gunpoint produced near 100% support for ‘joining the Russian Federation’, the methods of coercion indicate that the take-up of the invader’s citizenship was not going to plan.  It has been clear since 2023, that Russia is effectively forcing Ukrainians on occupied territory who need insulin or similar medication or, indeed, anybody with serious health issues, to take Russian passports or risk paying with their lives.  Other methods have included threatening to take children from their parents, unless at least one parent takes citizenship, as well as threats of deportation. 

It took six years for Putin to introduce illegal measures aimed at appropriating land in occupied Crimea owned by Ukrainians who had not taken Russian citizenship. No such caution has been demonstrated since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine with the occupying state openly stealing the property of Ukrainians who fled from the invaders, while also using the threat of having such ownership denied as a tool to foist citizenship.

See:

Take the Russian invaders’ citizenship or starve in occupied parts of Ukraine