FPÖ demands answers on illegal dual citizenship
The far-right Austrian Freedom Party (FPÖ) has tabled a question in parliament about the alleged situation with possibly tens of thousands of Turkish residents who illegally retain their Turkish citizenship after becoming Austrian citizens.
Austrian law requires that residents who wish to become Austrian citizens must relinquish their previous citizenship, and are not allowed to claim it back after receiving an Austrian passport.
Despite the law, lax enforcement has meant that many people have reclaimed their original passports after acquiring Austrian citizenship.
Dr. Dagmar Belakowitsch-Jenewein of the FPÖ raised the question based on a report appearing in the daily newspaper Die Presse, which suggested that there are tens of thousands of people of Turkish origin, who retained - or subsequently reacquired - their Turkish passports, even after becoming Austrian citizens.
She enquired of the interior minister Johanna Mikl-Leitner of the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) whether the minister was aware of this, and what actions she was planning to take to address this illegal state of affairs.
Current Austrian law means that dual or multiple citizenship is only allowed in very rare or exceptional cases, and therefore tens of thousands of Turks were currently in breach of the regulations.
Mikl-Leitner revealed that in the period from 2003-2013, a total of 53,234 Turks were awarded Austrian citizenship. She also indicated that the question of dual citizenship required coordination with the Turkish government, which she didn't see as the responsibility of the interior ministry.
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Austrian law requires that residents who wish to become Austrian citizens must relinquish their previous citizenship, and are not allowed to claim it back after receiving an Austrian passport.
Despite the law, lax enforcement has meant that many people have reclaimed their original passports after acquiring Austrian citizenship.
Dr. Dagmar Belakowitsch-Jenewein of the FPÖ raised the question based on a report appearing in the daily newspaper Die Presse, which suggested that there are tens of thousands of people of Turkish origin, who retained - or subsequently reacquired - their Turkish passports, even after becoming Austrian citizens.
She enquired of the interior minister Johanna Mikl-Leitner of the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) whether the minister was aware of this, and what actions she was planning to take to address this illegal state of affairs.
Current Austrian law means that dual or multiple citizenship is only allowed in very rare or exceptional cases, and therefore tens of thousands of Turks were currently in breach of the regulations.
Mikl-Leitner revealed that in the period from 2003-2013, a total of 53,234 Turks were awarded Austrian citizenship. She also indicated that the question of dual citizenship required coordination with the Turkish government, which she didn't see as the responsibility of the interior ministry.
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