Over 20,000 Moldovans and Ukrainians received Romanian citizenship in 2009
According to data provided by the Justice Ministry in Romania, Bucharest granted over 20,000 citizenships to Moldovan and Ukrainian residents in 2009.
Normally, any person can ask for Romanian citizenship and receive it if it can be proven that they lost it involuntarily. This means that anyone who lived in Bessarabia -- what is today the Republic of Moldova and parts of Ukraine (Northern Bucovina and Southern Bessarabia, i.e. former Hotin, Ismail and Cetatea Alba counties/judete) when they were part of Romania -- in the period between the two world wars can ask for a reinstatement of citizenship. In addition, their descendants up to the third generation can do the same.
A very large number of Moldovans have applied for Romanian citizenship as a result, but most are yet to hear from authorities in Bucharest. Romania recently reformed the institutions that deal with citizenship reinstatement in an attempt to improve response time.
Imedia
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