Foreigners in Germany should be able to obtain German citizenship more easily in the future – this is what the SPD, Greens and FDP agreed in the coalition agreement. Things are probably moving now.
From the SPD’s point of view, the reform of citizenship law planned by the traffic light coalition is in its final stages. “An agreement is within reach. Important detailed questions have been almost clarified,” said SPD parliamentary group leader Dirk Wiese of the “Rheinische Post”.
According to him, people are excluded from naturalization who have been proven to have committed anti-Semitic, racist, xenophobic or inhuman crimes. “Only those who respect our system of values can get citizenship,” said the interior expert.
Catalog with reasons for exclusion
The catalog of queries for naturalization should be expanded to include the crimes described. To this end, public prosecutors and nationality authorities would have to work better together. Accordingly, the grounds for exclusion from multiple marriages and rejection of equal rights for men and women are to be re-created.
In addition, the principle will be adhered to that no one will be naturalized who is dependent on transfer payments. However, there will be regulations for hardship cases. “I’m thinking of a single mother,” said Wiese. As planned, the intention is to reduce the possibility of naturalization for well-integrated people from eight to five years of residence. “Well integrated means that they speak German, can pay for themselves and their relatives, are committed to the Basic Law and of course have not committed a crime,” explained the SPD politician.
Simplified Dual Citizenship
In addition, dual citizenship is made easier. The principle of avoiding multiple nationalities should be abandoned. Naturalization for members of the so-called guest worker generation will be made easier by lowering the language level that has to be proven, said Wiese. The FDP had recently pushed for facilitation of German language skills for older people who came to Germany a long time ago, worked here and paid taxes.
The SPD, Greens and FDP had agreed in their coalition agreement that foreigners in Germany could more easily obtain German citizenship. The draft by Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) envisaged smoothing the way for foreigners over the age of 67 to obtain a German passport without a naturalization test and a written German test.
Source: Stern
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