The planned reform of citizenship law continues to cause heated debates. Likewise the proposals for easier immigration of workers.
After the criticism of Interior Minister Nancy Faeser’s (SPD) plans for accelerated naturalization, the proposals for easier immigration of skilled workers also met with reservations from the opposition. The parliamentary manager of the Union parliamentary group, Thorsten Frei (CDU), warned in Berlin that “the German passport would be thrown around everywhere”.
He also rejected the planned points system for simplified immigration into the labor market. The red-green-yellow federal cabinet wants to adopt a key issues paper this Wednesday.
Recognized specialists with a valid employment contract should be able to come to Germany more easily than before. On the basis of a points system, skilled workers without an employment contract should also be allowed to enter the country if they do particularly well in certain selection criteria such as language skills or professional experience. It is precisely this point that the Union rejects.
The Greens domestic politician Misbah Khan countered. She said: “For years we have been talking about the need for more immigration to meet our labor needs.” People must understand what it means if there is no progress here. She warned: “If there is a shortage of staff on every corner, life changes fundamentally. Longer delivery times, poor care conditions and a collapse of the pension system would be the logical consequences.”
The debates about the planned reform of citizenship law are also ongoing. The CDU politician Frei sees no need for action here: “We have liberal citizenship law – it has been liberalized more and more in recent years.” AfD faction leader Alice Weidel spoke of an “irresponsible policy”. “Green-Red” wants to “create new voters on a large scale and thus cement its own majorities”. Faeser plans for immigrants to be able to obtain German citizenship after just five years instead of eight years, or even after three years in the case of “special integration achievements”.
Merz: Don’t close our eyes to the modernization of immigration law
Union faction leader Friedrich Merz tried, however, to defuse the tone of the debate. The CDU is not closing itself to “further modernization of immigration law and citizenship law in the Federal Republic of Germany,” said the CDU chairman. “However, we also attach importance to the fact that citizenship is granted at the end of an integration process and not at the beginning.”
This week, at the request of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, there is to be a current hour in the Bundestag on the project, which – at least as far as the timing is concerned – is also controversial in parts of the FDP. FDP domestic politician Konstantin Kuhle told the “Welt”: “Even before the planned immigration law has been passed, the Federal Ministry of the Interior will present a draft law on citizenship law. That’s the wrong order.”
Economy supports easier naturalization
However, the chairwoman of the “Wirtschaftsweiser”, Monika Schnitzer, supports the government’s plans: easier naturalization would strengthen the integration of foreigners living and working in Germany, she told the newspapers of the Funke media group. The Federal Association of Medium-Sized Businesses (BVMW) also sees this as a locational advantage for Germany, as Federal Managing Director Markus Jerger told the editorial network Germany.
The Bundestag is to vote on another project by the traffic light coalition on migration issues this week. Well-integrated foreigners who have been living in Germany for several years without a secure status should benefit from the planned law on the so-called right of residence. According to the plans, anyone who has lived in the country for five years on the deadline and has not committed a crime will have 18 months to meet the requirements for long-term residence – this includes knowledge of German and securing their own livelihood.
Traffic light has readjusted the right of residence
Changes were made to the draft of the right of residence after consultations between the coalition partners on Monday evening. It was important to the FDP that only those who have spent at least a year with a toleration in Germany after completing their asylum procedure can benefit from the regulation. This is intended to prevent foreigners from automatically belonging to the group of beneficiaries, for example because the procedure took too long or because a deportation flight was cancelled. “It is unacceptable for people to slip into a secure residence almost by accident after the unsuccessful asylum procedure and the asylum process,” said FDP MP Ann-Veruschka Jurisch.
During the consultations, the Greens advocated that those who were tolerated not only have one year, but 18 months to complete the necessary integration work. In addition, the deadline has been moved from January 1 to October 31, 2022.
Source: Stern
David William is a talented author who has made a name for himself in the world of writing. He is a professional author who writes on a wide range of topics, from general interest to opinion news. David is currently working as a writer at 24 hours worlds where he brings his unique perspective and in-depth research to his articles, making them both informative and engaging.
