The Design of the Legal Mechanism for the Compulsory Termination of Opted Citizens’ Citizenship

The paper examines the legal mechanism for the forced termination of citizenship of opted citizens. Special attention is devoted to the institution of citizenship termination due to the commission of a crime (preparation for a crime or attempted crime); actions that pose a threat to the national security of the Russian Federation; and failure to comply with the obligation of initial military registration. During the investigation of the regulatory legal framework and law enforcement practices, it was noted that the legislation requires refinement concerning the formalization of grounds for the termination of citizenship of individuals who acquired it during the annexation of new territories to the Russian Federation in 2014 and 2022. The author identifies gaps in legislative regulation regarding the moment and fact of opting citizens (both adults and minors) assuming obligations to comply with the Constitution of the Russian Federation and Russian legislation, the violation of which results in the termination of Russian citizenship. The study concludes with a recommendation for amendments to paragraph 2 of part 1 of Article 2 of the Federal Law No. 138-FZ «On Citizenship of the Russian Federation» dated 28 April 2023.