Basketball player Ignas Brazdeikis, seeking Lithuanian citizenship, received good news. President Gitanas Nausėda signed amendments to the Law on Citizenship, which expanded the cases of dual citizenship when children acquire a second citizenship. Amendments to the Law on Citizenship adopted by the parliament established that a person who acquired Lithuanian citizenship at birth may have dual citizenship, if person acquired the citizenship of another country before reaching the age of 18 and not at birth.
124 members of the Parliament voted in favour of such an amendment to the Law on Citizenship and it will enter into force on the 1st of January 2021.
The amendment to the Law on Citizenship will perfectly solve situations like Brazdeikis’, when a three-year-old child born in Kaunas and having Lithuanian citizenship left Lithuania and move with his parents to Canada. The basketball player lived and trained there.
“I thank the President of Lithuania and the Basketball Federation for their help in fulfilling my dream. My dream has always been to play for Lithuania, because this is my homeland. Not only was I born here, but my whole family is from Lithuania and my mother tongue is Lithuanian.
I could have been moved to any corner of the world, but at heart I am Lithuanian. It means a lot to me if I could play for Lithuania together with my compatriots and represent the Lithuanian flag”, – Ignas Brazdeikis said at krepsinionamai.lt.
The basketball player had already sent all the necessary documents to the President and sought the citizenship of our country, which may exceptionally be granted by the President. After the amendments to the laws come into force, Ignas Brazdeikis will have to submit an application to the Lithuanian Migration Department.
Ignas Brazdeikis, who understands Lithuanian fluently, represented the University of Michigan at the NCAA Championship. The 201 cm tall forward averaged 14.8 points, rebounded 5.4 balls and made 0.8 assists. Ignas Brazdeikis currently represents the New York Knicks of the NBA.