Germany changes the law. Migrants will be able to get citizenship faster

The law so far has required those curious in obtaining German citizenship to live in Germany for at least 8 years and to be able to paper it. This time may have been shortened for individuals well integrated – In this sense there is simply a advanced cognition of language, accomplishment in school or work and commitment to volunteering. On the another hand, people with a tolerated residence, which meant rejecting an asylum application, could not apply for German citizenship.

New milder rules

The fresh law envisages shortening the period of legal residence needed for naturalisation to 5 years. It may be even shorter if the individual applying for a German passport is well integrated. Those with exceptional integration achievements will be able to gain naturalization after 3 years of stay. You will inactive request to know German at level B1 and a naturalization test of 33 questions.

Furthermore, any applicant for German citizenship must be able to guarantee the maintenance of himself and his dependent household members. This request is met erstwhile a individual has worked full-time and worked at least 20 months in the last 24 months. In addition, the rule of faithfulness to the Constitution is clarified.

Thousands of stakeholders

The offices liable for the naturalisation process are preparing for a crucial increase in the number of applications. To meet this challenge, they focus on digitalisation of procedures. Annette Kindel, head of the Hamburg Migration Office, forecasts a crucial increase in the number of naturalisation applications this year.

In the erstwhile year in Hamburg, over 7.5 000 people became German citizens, and in the first 5 months of this year, the number of naturalizations was 3128.

In 2023, over 36,000 people were naturalized in Bavaria, an increase compared to about 28,000 naturalizations in 2022. In the first 4 months of this year, around 14,500 people received German citizenship in Bavaria. A spokesperson for the Bavarian Ministry of the Interior explains this increase mainly by a advanced number of refugees who have arrived in Germany since 2015.

According to Philiz Polat, Members of the Bundestag of the Greens, the bill is peculiarly crucial for migrants. As he says, people like that know, that we see them, admit them and let them to participate democratically.

The opposition warns

The CDU/CSU opposition parties respect the improvement as an error. Their politicians announce that if they win the election, they will change the bill in the next term.

Double citizenship must stay an exception and be limited to countries that share our values – explained Alexander Throm, spokesperson for interior policy of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group.