EU “shocked” by Baltic citizenship situation

The Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights, Alvaro Gil-Robles, said he is shocked that in the Baltic States there are still hundreds of thousands of persons without citizenship. “I do not hide the fact that I am shocked that in EU member states where Article 8 is in force [EU base agreement which details the rights of EU citizens], there are hundreds of thousands of persons in the status of persons with no citizenship. Shocking.”

Gil-Robles, who will leave his post in March, said that the Baltic States must remove as many barriers to citizenship as possible. There are over 100,000 persons without citizenship in Estonia.

Those with interest in how foreigners are treated in EstoniaÂ’s Immigration Office should read www.balticsworldwide.com/immigration.htm