In a significant development, Germany’s Cabinet has endorsed a long-awaited bill aimed at modernizing the country’s citizenship law. Interior Minister Nancy Faeser, speaking at a press conference in Berlin, highlighted that the proposed legislation aims to streamline the naturalization process and permit immigrants to hold multiple citizenships.
Faeser emphasized that the new nationality law signifies a vital reform for the coalition government. She expressed her satisfaction with the implementation of this significant change, which she views as pivotal in catering to the diversity and modernity of the nation.
The reform holds particular importance in attracting highly skilled foreign workers, thereby enhancing the competitive edge of German companies. Faeser underscored the global competition for talent and the necessity to integrate skilled individuals fully into society.
The proposed bill outlines that immigrants will become eligible for German citizenship after residing in the country for five years, as opposed to the existing requirement of eight years. However, for immigrants with exceptional academic or professional accomplishments and proficient language skills, this period will be further reduced to three years.
Crucially, the draft law will grant immigrants the option of dual citizenship or multiple nationality, a departure from the current practice that limits this privilege for most immigrants. Faeser acknowledged the sentiment of many immigrants who identify as German but wish to maintain ties to their countries of origin.
The new legislation also accommodates children born in Germany to foreign parents, allowing them to acquire German citizenship provided that at least one parent has legally lived in the country for five years. Such children will also be able to retain their parents’ citizenship.
Currently, more than 12 million people in Germany, constituting around 14% of the total population, lack German citizenship. Of this number, approximately 5.3 million have resided in the country for at least a decade.
The proposed law stipulates that foreign nationals seeking German citizenship must demonstrate a commitment to Germany’s free, democratic, and constitutional order. Furthermore, individuals with convictions related to racist, xenophobic, inhumane, or antisemitic acts will face rejection of their applications.
The reform of Germany’s citizenship law has been a central aspect of the coalition agreement established two years ago by the Social Democrats, the Greens, and the liberal Free Democrats. Chancellor Olaf Scholz has frequently stressed that expediting naturalization processes and permitting multiple citizenships for immigrants would foster integration, as well as greater social and political involvement.
For the bill to become law, it requires approval from the parliament, with discussions anticipated in the Bundestag after the summer recess.
The main opposition CDU/CSU alliance expressed strong reservations about the bill, arguing that the government’s approach sends misleading signals, particularly in the context of the ongoing migration crisis. Andrea Lindholz, deputy chairwoman of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, criticized the concept of “dual citizenship,” asserting potential risks associated with bolstering the political influence of foreign states in Germany.