Affirming and clarifying the principle of one nationality

Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Nguyen Khac Dinh chaired the meeting. Photo: VIET CHUNG

On the morning of June 24, 414/415 National Assembly delegates present voted in favor of amending and supplementing the agenda of the 9th session of the 15th National Assembly with the total working time unchanged, and the session is expected to close on the afternoon of June 27.

Immediately afterwards, the National Assembly listened to the presentation and voted to pass the Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Vietnamese Nationality with 416/416 deputies in favor, accounting for 87.03% of the total number of NA deputies.

Previously, Minister of Justice Nguyen Hai Ninh presented a report explaining, accepting and revising the draft law. The Minister said that with the orientation of loosening the policy of acquiring/returning Vietnamese nationality to attract high-quality human resources and investors, the draft law stipulates that people with special contributions to the cause of building and defending the Vietnamese Fatherland or benefiting the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (cases specified in Decree No. 16/2020/ND-CP) will be exempted from a number of conditions specified in Article 19 of this law.

These cases are also allowed to retain foreign nationality if they meet two conditions similar to the case of having relatives who are Vietnamese citizens and are permitted by the President . They can submit their applications to Vietnamese representative agencies abroad if they reside abroad. "The Government will continue to study and specify the "special mechanism for naturalization" to suit the new situation," Minister Nguyen Hai Ninh emphasized.

The law recently passed by the National Assembly continues to affirm and clarify the principle of one nationality in the relationship between the State and citizens, and stipulates exceptions. For important positions related to national security, the draft stipulates the principle that "must be a person with only one nationality, Vietnamese nationality, and must permanently reside in Vietnam".

Specifically, the following groups of subjects: candidates, elected, approved, appointed, designated to hold positions and titles for a term in agencies of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the State, the Vietnam Fatherland Front, and socio-political organizations at the central and local levels; people working in key organizations; people participating in the armed forces of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

An exception is made for civil servants and public employees (except civil servants and public employees working in the armed forces), allowing them to have foreign nationality if it is "beneficial to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, does not harm the national interests of Vietnam, and they must permanently reside in Vietnam". The Government will specify this clause in detail.

The newly passed law also revised the provisions in Clause 8, Article 5 in the direction: "Administrative decisions of competent Vietnamese state agencies related to Vietnamese nationality according to the provisions of this law are not subject to complaints or lawsuits".

Another noteworthy new point is that the name of a person applying for/returning to Vietnamese nationality while also applying to retain foreign nationality can choose a name that is a combination of Vietnamese and foreign names, to ensure convenience for them when living and working in the countries of which they have nationality.

MR. PHUONG

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/khang-dinh-va-lam-ro-nguyen-tac-mot-quoc-tich-post800739.html