The new law effectively equates them in rights not only with Estonian citizens, but also with all residents of the European Union. According to official data, there are 242,880 people in Estonia who have been granted residence permits in the republic (mostly Russians). The majority, 207,380 people, have so-called permanent residence permits. From June 1, the situation of these people will change.
As early as 2003, the European Commission adopted a directive requiring EU member states to adjust their national legislation, with January 2006 set as the final deadline. The directive aims to establish equal legal status for all permanent residents of EU countries who are not citizens of those countries. This includes, in particular, the right to freedom of movement, social guarantees, work, study, and mutual recognition of educational diplomas.
The amendments to legislation adopted recently by the Estonian parliament introduce the concepts of "temporary" and "long-term" EU residents. The second category includes holders of permanent residence permits in the country (the aforementioned 207,380 people). From June 1, they will be able to feel like citizens of a united Europe.
This concerns foreigners who have lived in Estonia for at least five years, have a permanent and legal source of income, do not pose a threat to state security, and, of course, have received a permanent residence permit in accordance with established procedures. A person with such status now has the opportunity, for example, to settle in any EU member state.
This decision was made in accordance with one of the fundamental principles of the European Union, which for a long time did not apply to millions of citizens of third countries who have legally resided in EU countries for years and decades.
According to the legislative amendments, difficulties in obtaining the new status will arise only for those immigrants who arrive in Estonia after June 1. In order to become a "long-term" EU resident after five years, they will have to pass an Estonian language exam at least at the most basic level. Children under 15 and people over 65 are exempt from the exam.
Sergei Ivanov, a member of the Estonian parliament and the Reform Party, told Gazeta: "The adopted amendments, which grant stateless persons and Russian citizens living in Estonia the right to obtain long-term EU resident status and become equal in position to Estonian citizens, allow us to move away from so-called temporary residence permits, and Europe has helped us in this."
Andrei Zarenkov, chairman of the Russian-speaking Constitutional Party not represented in parliament, is skeptical: "It seems to me that Europe did not want that when issuing its directive. They, I think, wanted the EU countries (especially the newcomer countries) to establish a normal civil society, not divided into holders of passports of the most varied colors."
Thus, in the context of long-standing problems with Russians, this innovation deflects from Estonia the accusations of oppressing a national minority.