According to a spokesperson of the Embassy of Ukraine in Ottawa, a person born in Lvov in 1932 is considered to have been born on the territory of Ukraine (1 Dec. 1994). He added that such a person is eligible to apply for Ukrainian citizenship provided he/she meets the conditions specified in article 17 of the 8 October 1991 Ukrainian Law on Citizenship (ibid.). The spokesperson reported that he/she must file an application, which will be examined by the competent authorities (ibid.).

For further information on naturalization procedures and requirements, please refer to the attached copy of the 8 October 1991 Ukrainian Law on Citizenship and to the attached excerpts from the July 1993 UNHCR Nationality Laws in Former USSR Republics.

In addition, the attached excerpts from The New Encyclopaedia Britannica indicate that in 1932 Lvov was part of Poland, not Ukraine (1989, 930, 932-35, 1043-44). Also, please consult Response to Information Request POL18815.E of 1 December 1994 for information on the acquisition and loss of Polish citizenship.

Please note that because of the number of variables involved, the DIRB cannot provide information on the application to specific cases of citizenship laws of former Soviet republics.

This response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.

Embassy of Ukraine, Ottawa. 1 December 1994. Telephone interview with spokesperson.

The New Encyclopaedia Britannica. 1989. 15th ed. Vol. 25. Edited by Philip W. Goetz. Chicago: Encyclopaedia Britannica, pp. 930, 932-35.

_____. 1989. 15th ed. Vol. 28. Edited by Philip W. Goetz. Chicago: Encyclopaedia Britannica, pp. 1043-44.

Pravda Ukrainy [Kiev, in Russian]. 14 November 1991. "Ukrainian Law `On Ukrainian Citizenship'." (FBIS-USR-91-962 30 Dec. 1991, pp. 46-51)

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). July 1993. Nationality Laws in Former USSR Republics. Geneva: UNHCR, pp. 69-73.