Union and FDP reject the plans for faster naturalization. SMEs and economists are convinced that Germany could score points in the global competition for skilled workers. Family entrepreneurs, on the other hand, consider something else to be more important than a German passport.
FDP General Secretary Bijan Djir-Sarai rejects "devaluation of German citizenship". Party colleague Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann railed that Interior Minister Nancy Faeser should first deal with illegal migration before the SPD politician facilitates naturalization. The liberals are helping the Union, which is warning against selling German citizenship at a bargain price. Economists and business representatives advocate accelerated naturalization.
In her view, faster access to a German passport would be an important signal to foreign professionals: firstly, to come to Germany at all and secondly, to stay here. "Germany is in a global competition for skilled workers," emphasizes Andreas Jahn, head of politics and foreign trade at the Federal Association of Small and Medium-sized Businesses (BVMW), in an interview with ntv.de. "Such 'soft' factors are extremely important." The eight years that it has usually taken before naturalization is possible are relatively difficult. "Potential applicants are therefore more likely to look towards other countries."
Jahn means about software engineers from India. The representative of small and medium-sized businesses, for example, considers the fact that the German consulate will not be offering bundled visa applications in Mumbai until next May to be a "devastating signal". It is also important for nurses from the Philippines or craftsmen from the Balkans to shorten the deadlines so that they can come to Germany with their families. Many trades no longer provide training in this country and are therefore dependent on skilled immigrants from south-eastern Europe.
Wido Geis-Thöne from the Institute of German Business (IW), which is close to employers, also sees an accelerated naturalization process as a strong signal to skilled workers around the world that they are very welcome - "a strong argument for Germany". However, this information must reach potential applicants, the economist emphasizes to ntv.de. The IW therefore calls for "an even stronger advertising approach and low-threshold provision of specialist information for skilled workers interested in immigrating". Then the applicants could be won, which the German economy is particularly lacking. Jahn currently puts the shortage at 400,000 skilled workers.
"Faster naturalization has significant advantages for the German economy, especially in the highly qualified sector," says Geis-Thöne. Because with a German passport, skilled workers could work abroad much more easily, for example to install a system, instruct other employees or for international research stays.
The association "The Family Entrepreneurs", on the other hand, does not believe that citizenship is a decisive lever against the shortage of skilled workers. "The facts speak against it," says Managing Director Albrecht von der Hagen when asked by ntv.de. Only a fraction of the millions of those entitled to claim can be naturalized. The previous loss of citizenship, which the SPD and the Greens want to curb through more dual citizenship, only represents an obstacle for some of the immigrants. Because numerous exceptions have already made dual citizenship possible for the majority. "In this respect, other factors are likely to be decisive for whether foreign skilled workers come to Germany or work in Germany," says von der Hagen.
Immigrants could also be kept in the country with faster naturalization, expect the IW and Mittelstandsverband. So far, many have migrated again after a certain time, reports Geis-Thöne. According to Jahn, the German passport should encourage people to stay, especially in agriculture - as well as better integration. This is particularly important in rural areas.
Von der Hagen considers other incentives to be more important than the quick issue of German passports: the earning potential, the burden of taxes and duties, and child and family friendliness. On the other hand, companies are of much more help "if the immigrants are well integrated, quickly acquire the appropriate language skills and can be appropriately qualified".
According to the President of the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW), Marcel Fratzscher, some politicians who are trying to prevent faster naturalization want to "return to the outdated concept of citizenship based on descent," as he writes on Twitter. But Germany will neither solve its skilled worker problem nor support the integration of foreign citizens in this way.
SME representative Jahn can understand the skepticism of the opponents, who fear false incentives. "From our experience, however, we can say that it is a minority. The vast majority have a high intrinsic motivation to work here permanently and to educate themselves." IW economist Geis-Thöne predicts that the reform of citizenship law would "not primarily create incentives to migrate anyway, but rather bring the German nation closer to the population living in Germany for the long term".
In order to integrate foreign applicants more quickly, Jahn calls for a reduction in bureaucracy and more staff. "If a software engineer from India has to wait almost four months in Berlin for an appointment with the office, which then takes place in German, he only does it once - and he looks for another country."
