Migration: CSU: Amendment to the Basic Law to revoke double passports

According to Bavaria’s Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann (CSU), foreign criminals should have their German citizenship revoked in the future.

“It must be possible for criminals with dual citizenship to have their German citizenship revoked if they have committed significant criminal offenses and thus seriously impair the essential interests of our community,” said the CSU politician to the German Press Agency in Munich. A change to the Basic Law is necessary for this. Herrmann cited serious anti-Semitic acts of violence or serious crimes such as murder or rape as examples.

Anyone who commits such things should no longer be able to rely on the privileges of German citizenship, said Herrmann. Instead, those whose “continued stay seriously impairs the interests of our community” must be able to be returned to their countries of origin.

Herrmann: “Clear imbalance”

The reform of nationality law planned by the traffic light federal government increases the need for action because naturalization in Germany should be made much easier and dual citizenship should become the rule, said Herrmann. The SPD, Greens and SPD planned to pass it in the first half of 2024.

“Apart from the fact that I currently see no reason to change anything in the current citizenship law: With the same vigor, the federal government must now also deal with how German citizenship can be revoked in the case of dual citizenship.”

Without changing the Basic Law, there is a risk of a “significant imbalance,” said Herrmann. “There should be no clearance certificate for dual nationals that, once they have acquired German citizenship, they are guaranteed for life, regardless of how much they damage our community through serious crimes.”