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| An Albanian passport where one hands it over and the other takes it (archive) |
Children of foreigners born in Albania have the opportunity to immediately acquire Albanian citizenship. This is one of the objectives of the draft law approved by the government, which is now expected to be discussed in parliamentary committees, local media say.
The government proposes several amendments to the Citizenship Law of 2020, adding several provisions that essentially facilitate the procedures for obtaining Albanian passports for children of foreign couples born in Albania, as well as for Albanian children born in foreign countries.
Article 7 of the law adds paragraph 3, stating that if the parents have a regular residence in our country, the child they bring into the world can obtain Albanian citizenship. This practice is also exercised by many other countries in the world, such as Canada or the United States, while European countries usually grant citizenship to children born on their territory, as long as the parents have the passport of the respective country.
Another intervention is foreseen in Article 8 of the Citizenship Law. The added paragraph stipulates that any immigrant who comes to work in Albania and has a child with Albanian citizenship can also obtain citizenship, even if they do not speak the Albanian language.
The legal changes also pave the way for children of Albanian parents living abroad who want to play for the national team and who were previously unable to obtain an Albanian passport before turning 18, to acquire the document earlier.