Читать книгу Global Residence & Citizenship Handbook - Christian H. Kälin - Страница 48

Many people may not be aware that they are entitled to an alternative citizenship by virtue of their ancestry. The principle that citizenship is passed on by descent is called ius sanguinis (“law of the blood”). Americans (and Canadians, Australians, Argentineans etc.) in most cases have traceable ancestry in Europe. If the ancestry is not too far back, it may be possible for them to re-acquire the citizenship of their ancestors. For example many US citizens are entitled to Irish, Polish or Italian citizenship due to the mass immigration from these countries to the US in the early twentieth century. For example an Irish-born grandparent, or also a grandparent from Poland or Lithuania, may be the basis for a successful claim to Irish, Polish or Lithuanian citizenship and – as a result - to an EU passport. In Croatia, to reclaim citizenship it is sufficient to have proof of Croatian ancestry, no matter how far removed.

Even though many countries have tightened their nationality laws, it is constructive to investigate the option, especially if one of your closer ancestors was born in another country. Dual or multiple citizenships offer numerous benefits beyond the possibility of taking up residence in the country of citizenship (and in case of citizenship of an EU country, to have the right of establishment throughout the EU).