The heart understands leaving Ukraine, and the brain says they are needed there, commented foreign minister Xavier Bettel in response to an ongoing debate regarding whether Ukrainian men should seek protection in the EU rather than fighting on the front lines back home.
Last week, Minister of the Interior Léon Gloden said he felt it was “strange” for Ukrainian men to seek refuge in Luxembourg and other states. Defence minister Yuriko Backes echoed his feelings on Saturday, saying she saw an issue with it. But Xavier Bettel told RTL Radio it was not an easy decision to make, adding that if he was called upon to go to war tomorrow, he would struggle to motivate himself.
Bettel said the decision lies with the Ukrainians. If the country files a demand with the EU to stop offering temporary protection to young men, then the EU would have to comply. But currently this demand does not exist.
The foreign minister also tackled the topic of Luxembourgish passports, with a large number of people holding Luxembourgish nationality in Brazil, Argentina or the USA.
Around a third of Luxembourgers live abroad currently – 157,000 out of 526,000 people with Luxembourgish nationality. The majority live in France, Brazil, Belgium, Germany and the US. The demand for a Luxembourgish passport is particularly strong in Brazil and the United States, where many people have Luxembourgish ancestry as both countries were popular destinations for people emigrating years ago. “You would be surprised,” Bettel commented. “These people are more Luxembourgish than we are.” There are currently mayors in Brazil with Luxembourgish passports, who promote the country and hope to visit one day.
Bettel said he believes in the need to work more closely with the communities abroad. In theory, thousands of new Luxembourgers could make use of their right to vote in Grand Ducal elections, thus having an impact on the results. Luxembourgers abroad are all considered part of the central constituency when voting.
The foreign minister added that the question of how to deal with Luxembourgers abroad is pertinent. There are several possibilities: it could continue as it has been, or conditions could be brought in, such as ensuring voters have lived in Luxembourg for two to three years. Another option would be to create a constituency for Luxembourgers abroad, with an MP to represent them. Or, Bettel continued, they could have their right to vote taken away, but that would mean people across the borders in France and Germany would also lose the right to vote.
Luxembourgish passports are currently valid for a period of five years. However, plans are in motion to increase this to ten years. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has completed the bulk of the work, with just a few technical details to sort out in order to ensure the passport meets international security standards. Every year there are between 55,000 and 60,000 demands for new passports. If the validity increases to ten years, it will be a win-win situation for citizens and administrative staff alike.
