Estonia’s Minister of the Interior, Lauri Läänemets, has warned that Russian minority citizens who accept Russian passports will face deportation and their residence permits will not be renewed. This comes after Russia adopted a new law granting Russian citizenship on favourable terms to those residing abroad. Läänemets believes this move is an attempt to mobilise the pro-Russian minority in neighbouring countries, taking into account stateless persons from Estonia.
Estonia’s grey passport, known as an Alien’s Passport, is a travel document issued to stateless persons residing in Estonia by the country’s Police and Border Guard Board. Estonia’s Minister of the Interior believes Russia’s move aims to create instability in the Baltic States and all parts of the former Soviet Union. If a person holds a residence permit in Estonia as a grey passport holder and decides to renounce their status by acquiring Russian citizenship, they risk facing sanctions and their residence permit is likely to be revoked. Estonia has also joined the list of other European countries imposing sanctions on Russia following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
