2023-08-23 18:59:38
“Finally.” It is “high time” for the new nationality law, said Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser on Wednesday. The draft law that the cabinet passed that morning is one of the most important reform projects of this federal government. The aim is to speed up and simplify naturalization.
“Our economy needs this reform,” said Faeser, “we are in competition for the best minds.” The idea behind it is that Germany will become more attractive for specialists from abroad if they can be naturalized faster than before.
Previous period of eight years
The Federal Minister of the Interior also argued that the prospect of German citizenship increases the willingness to integrate. “There can’t be a better incentive for successful integration,” said Faeser. “Naturalization is the strongest commitment to Germany, there is no stronger commitment.” She pointed out that around 5.3 million people have lived in Germany for at least ten years and do not have German citizenship.
The cornerstones of the reform are already laid down in the coalition agreement: “Naturalization should generally be possible after five years, with special integration achievements after three years,” it says there. This applies, for example, to people who do voluntary work or perform outstandingly in their job.
Previously, the period for naturalization was usually eight years. In France and the United States, people must have lived in the country for five years before being able to naturalize, in Canada only three. However, the period does not begin to run until the person has permanent resident status. In Switzerland, Lithuania and Spain the period is ten years. The SPD, Greens and FDP had also already agreed in autumn 2021 to generally allow multiple citizenship.
Published/Updated: Recommendations: 72 Andreas Ette and Irena Kogan Published/Updated: Recommendations: 1 Helene Bubrowski, Berlin Published/Updated: , Recommendations: 149
There have been heated discussions between the parties over the past few months. And after the criticism from some associations, it is to be expected that the parliamentary procedure will continue to wrestle with individual points. The question of economic integration as a prerequisite for naturalization was particularly controversial.
So far, claiming social benefits through no fault of your own has not stood in the way of naturalization. This will not remain the case in the future. At the urging of the FDP, the coalition has agreed on the principle that drawing social benefits excludes naturalization. According to the draft, anyone who wants to be naturalized must be able to support themselves and their family members themselves.
Naturalization ceremony with 12 new German citizens on May 23, 2023 in Hamburg with the First Mayor Peter Tschentscher (SPD): Photo: dpa
Exceptions, which are now expressly named in the draft law, apply in cases of particular hardship. For so-called top-ups, for example, the receipt of social benefits should not rule out naturalization.
An exception also applies to applicants with minor children. Guest workers who entered the Federal Republic before 1974 or contract workers who came to the GDR before 1990 should also be able to be naturalized if they are receiving social benefits because they were unemployed through no fault of their own. For this group of people, there are also simplifications in proving language skills.
Naturalization rate in Germany low
Faeser emphasized on Wednesday: “Anyone who does not share our values cannot become a German.” Racism and misanthropy ruled out naturalization. The draft law makes it clear that “anti-Semitic, racist, xenophobic or other inhumanely motivated acts” violate the free-democratic basic order. A commitment to this is a prerequisite for naturalization.
In the future, public prosecutors will be obliged to inform the authorities that decide on naturalization whether an inhuman motive was found in a criminal judgment. In such cases, being sentenced to minor penalties also stands in the way of naturalization.
Last year, 168,545 people in Germany applied for a German passport, which corresponds to 3.1 percent of foreign nationals who have lived in Germany for at least ten years. The naturalization rate in Germany is low compared to the EU average.
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