Russia’s Forced Citizenship: The Passport as a Weapon

Berlin The imperial power expansion of modern states does not only take place through the violent annexation of foreign national territory. This is accompanied, and in many cases also prepared for, by a quieter access to the people of another state. The imperial state is encroaching on nationals of another state living outside its territory in its personal sovereignty through the targeted collective granting of its citizenship – in the form of its passport.

Because the loyal relationship of the attacked state to its citizens is split and/or completely abolished by the affiliation to the attacking state. This is precisely the effect of imperial passport policy – even if its objectives are not disclosed.

The policy of “passportization” – after the Russian word “pasportizatsiya” adopted into English – of the Russian Federation since Putin came to power as president in 2000 is historically not an isolated case, but a particularly striking example of imperial politics with the passport as a weapon.