The planned reform of citizenship law has met with sharp criticism from the opposition. For Interior Minister Faeser, however, "shaming" doesn't do justice to an immigration country. The Greens accuse the CDU and CSU of having a dusty worldview.
Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser warns against resentment in the discussion about citizenship law in Germany. Many people were "deeply hurt" by the fact that the debates in the past were often characterized by "sentiment propaganda", wrote the SPD politician in a guest article for the "Tagesspiegel". That doesn't do justice to a modern immigration country. "The reform of our citizenship law is long overdue and a great opportunity to strengthen our social cohesion."
Among other things, Faeser plans that in future foreigners will be able to obtain citizenship after only five years of residence in Germany instead of the previous eight years. In the case of "special integration achievements" this should even be possible after three years. "Achievement should be worth it," wrote Faeser.
The interior minister also defended the plan to create more opportunities for multiple citizenship. The previous practice prevents the naturalization of many people who have lived in Germany for decades and are at home here. "With the reform of nationality law, we are therefore introducing a paradigm shift and will accept multiple nationalities in the future," she wrote.
At the weekend, Chancellor Olaf Scholz already had that in the SPD coalition agreement. Greens and FDP defend agreed projects. In his weekly internet format "Kanzler Kompakt" he said that all the "great men and women" who have come to Germany over the past few decades have "contributed greatly to our economy being as strong as it is today". . Some of these people have lived in Germany "for a very, very long time" and have children and grandchildren. That is why it is "very good" if they decide to acquire German citizenship.
In the past few days, however, sharp criticism of Faeser's plans had come from within the Union. CDU leader Friedrich Merz said in the ARD program "Report from Berlin": "German citizenship is something very valuable and you have to be careful with it." Dual citizenship should not be the norm, but the exception. "We do not believe that German citizenship should be granted very freely, and we would not agree to that either." If the goal of the coalition is immigration into the social systems, this must be prevented. In an international comparison, Germany already has very modern immigration law.
CSU regional group head Alexander Dobrindt told the "Bild" newspaper: "Bargaining German citizenship does not promote integration, but has the exact opposite purpose and will trigger additional pull effects in illegal migration." Union parliamentary manager Thorsten Frei from the CDU told the "Rheinische Post": "Basically, the passport should be the end of a successful integration process and not the beginning." When it comes to nationality law, there is no need for action at all. Declaring dual citizenship to be the "standard case" is highly problematic. "That would not be a contribution to better coexistence, but to the division of society."
The Greens accused the Union of having a dusty worldview. Filiz Polat, parliamentary director of the Greens parliamentary group, told the German Press Agency: "Germany is a country of immigration and it is high time to take this into account. In the coalition agreement, we have undertaken to introduce modern citizenship law in Germany, and that let's do it now." What can be done here after years of blockade by the Union in the federal government is massive. "The Union's antiquated world view is lagging behind social reality and a modern society. More than 20 years after the Union's unspeakable "double passport campaign" naturalization will finally be possible for everyone, accepting multiple nationalities."
The parliamentary secretary of the FDP parliamentary group, Stephan Thomae, said that the Union "to this day" does not recognize the fact that Germany is dependent on foreign immigrants. "For us, it's a positive signal when someone wants to become part of our society on a permanent basis."
The chairman of the Turkish community in Germany, Gökay Sofuoglu, welcomed the planned reform: "German citizenship law no longer corresponds to the reality of our days," he told the newspapers of the editorial network Germany. The Federal Immigration and Integration Council also approved. The cornerstones of the plan, for example the acceptance of multiple nationalities and simplifications for senior citizens, have been among its demands for almost a quarter of a century, the committee explained. The Federal Anti-Discrimination Commissioner, Ferda Ataman, emphasized: "Naturalization creates legal certainty and offers more protection against legal discrimination."
The President of the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW), Marcel Fratzscher, pointed out: "Germany's skilled labor problem will become much worse as a result of demographics and increasing competition for the brightest minds if politicians don't act much more decisively than before." A clear perspective on nationality is an important element in making Germany more attractive for foreign skilled workers, he told the "Handelsblatt".
