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The Ukrainian government has recently submitted a bill to the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine’s Parliament, on conscription and military service. The controversial proposed legislation sets provisions for a partial exemption or rest for active military personnel and regulates conscription-related issues. The bill imposes sanctions on any holder of Ukrainian citizenship who attempts to circumvent conscription.
Those concerned may be prohibited from traveling abroad, or from selling or buying property, among other things. They may also be prevented from obtaining a driving license or be subject to restrictions on their right to use their own funds and other assets. Also, they may be banned from applying for loans and would not be eligible for a number of social welfare and other administrative services.
Through this law, Ukraine wants to overcome the «conscription crisis» it is facing in the middle of its ongoing war between with Russia, which started on February 24, 2022. After almost two years of armed conflict, foreign-born holders of Ukrainian citizenship who have not left the country have long remained in a gray zone. Moroccan dual nationals are among them.
Among them, a Moroccan citizen who has lived in Ukraine for several years and requested anonymity told Yabiladi that «men with Ukrainian citizenship were prohibited from leaving the country for a long period». «Those who live here are very worried about the possibility of being drafted into the army and having to take up arms against Russia», he added. For some reason, the Ukrainian authorities do not recognize dual citizenship, as long as a national also holds Ukrainian citizenship, the Moroccan expatriate further explained. «This means that we will not be able to avoid a possible military mobilization», he stressed.
Take up arms or find a way to leave the country
As for the reasons that pushed him to stay there, despite the war and the repatriation operations previously initiated by Morocco for its nationals wanting to leave Ukraine, the Moroccan man told Yabiladi that he also has ties in his country of residence. He says he «built [his] entire life» professional and personal there, being also the head of the family and the breadwinner.
«Some fellow citizens have already tried to reach the border to leave Ukraine, but they have been prohibited from leaving the territory. The army began to go around homes to identify those carrying Ukrainian citiznship. We are between the devil and the blue sea, we want go home. Some aspire to settle elsewhere in Europe, but our dream is to return to Morocco».
The Moroccan national pointed out that the Ukrainian army was also setting up checkpoints on the roads. In public places, pressure is put on citizens to register for military conscription. Faced with this situation, some residents no longer leave their homes. «We are Moroccans and we do not want to register with the Ukrainian army», he regretted.
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Contacted by our editorial team, another dual national citizen residing in Ukraine, who also requested anonymity, deplored a situation he considers akin to «hostage-taking» through the provisions of the law. «Conscription is no longer limited to holders of Ukrainian citizenship only», but also to dual citizens from various countries «who can no longer leave the territory», he said. According to him, «even dual nationals who have not renewed their administrative documents after expiration are concerned, while the only Moroccan consular service on duty they can turn to is located in Warsaw», in neighboring Poland.
The Moroccan national added that «not all Moroccans in Ukraine are students, there are those who have built their whole life in this second country but now that everything has changed, they could be enlisted for war», he added. «We cannot visit our families and we live in constant terror. We hope that the Moroccan government will intervene to allow us to return to the motherland and not join the Ukrainian army», he stressed.
