Lithuanian citizenship for persons who emigrated from Lithuania to Australia, and for their descendants

Lithuania has experienced four major waves of emigration of Lithuanians from Lithuania. Emigration of Lithuanians was influenced by different reasons, including both economic, historical and political reasons.

The main waves of emigration of Lithuanians from Lithuania shall be as follows: 

• economic emigration at the end of the 19^th century and at the beginning of the 20^th century;
• Emigration from Lithuania during the period 1920-1940;
• Emigration of political refugees who fled Lithuania at the end of World War II (Displaced Persons);
• Contemporary emigration from Lithuania.

The greatest emigration of Lithuanian residents to Australia occurred after World War II, during the third wave of emigration from Lithuania, together with emigration of political expatriates (Displaced Persons), who fled Lithuania at the end of World War II.

At the end of World War II, the emigration of Lithuanians to Australia was affected by historical and political circumstances, namely, World War II, consequences thereof, occupation of Lithuania. Lithuanians as political refugees receded to DP camps, wherefrom they were further transferred to regions of independent countries, including Canada. Most Lithuanians settled down in German DP camps, also, in Austrian DP camps, where political refugees were protected by international organizations UNRA and IRO, which took care of the relief, placement of war refugees and later on of their further emigration. All persons who moved from their countries were named by the term Displaced Persons. During this period, a huge part of Lithuanian emigrants departed to Australia.

In 1948-1950, Lithuanians from German and Austrian DP camps spread all over the World: a small part of Lithuanians left in Europe (the Great Britain, Germany, Austria), the huge wave of Lithuanians settled down in the United States of America, the rest part – in Canada, Australia, and South American countries.

Lithuanians who emigrated to Australia used to acquire citizenship of foreign state, whereas their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren in most cases used to become citizens of such foreign country. In order to maintain a legal relationship with Lithuanian emigrants, Lithuania provides for an institute for reinstatement of Lithuanian citizenship, which entitles a person, who held Lithuanian citizenship before 15 June 1940 and departed from Lithuania before 11 March 1991, to reinstate citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania without renouncing his present citizenship of foreign state (dual citizenship). Descendants of this person (children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren) can also use the possibility of reinstating the Lithuanian citizenship.

In accordance with the Law on Citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania, persons who had Lithuanian citizenship before 15 June 1940, and their descendants who have not acquired Lithuanian citizenship before the entry into force of this law, shall have an indefinite right to reinstate Lithuanian citizenship, irrespective of whether the country of habitual residence thereof is Lithuania or another state.

Article 7 of the Law on Citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania provides for cases when the Lithuanian citizenship may be reinstated without renouncing the present citizenship of foreign state. It is determined in this Article that a citizen of the Republic of Lithuania may be a citizen of another state at the same time, provided he is a person who departed from the Republic of Lithuania before 11 March 1990, or is a descendant of such person.

Subject to these provisions of the Law on Citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania, in order to reinstate Lithuanian citizenship without renouncing the present citizenship of another state, the following main circumstances must be substantiated:

1. Lithuanian citizenship until 15 June 1940;
2. Departure from Lithuania before 11 March 1990;
3. Other circumstances (family relationship, change of name, surname, etc.).

MIGRATION LAW CENTER