MOSCOW, March 1 (RAPSI) – A bill on the simplified procedure of obtaining citizenship for residents of Crimea, who were outside the peninsula at the time of its reunification with Russia, has been submitted to the State Duma by a group of the country’s members of parliament, according to the lower house’s database.

Under the bill, citizens of Ukraine and stateless persons permanently residing in Crimea, who deregistered domicile before March 18, 2014, temporally departed from the peninsula “for work, education, medical treatment or personal reasons”, and did not receive a passport of a Russian citizen on return till now, would have a right to apply for citizenship using the simplified procedure.

Amendments are proposed to the federal law “On Citizenship of the Russian Federation”.

Crimea reunited with Russia following a referendum in March 2014. Over 96 percent of those who took part in the polls voted for joining Russia.