Status: 03/03/2023 5:37 p.m
The new naturalization law should be modern and simple. But for the FDP, Interior Minister Faeser’s plans go too far, and she calls for improvements. The Union even warns of a “devaluation” of German citizenship.
Naturalization should take place faster and without renouncing the old citizenship – according to the plan of Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser. But now the SPD politician is getting headwind from the traffic light coalition. The FDP calls for improvements to the planned Skilled Immigration Act.
In principle, the Liberals are still in favor of shorter waiting times for naturalization and they also like the end of the dual passport ban. But some other ideas in the draft have met with criticism from the Liberals. This includes, for example, the plan to pave the way for all foreigners over the age of 67 to obtain a German passport without a naturalization test and a written German test. According to the draft, people from this group who want to be naturalized should only be able to communicate orally in German.
According to a position paper by the FDP domestic politicians Konstantin Kuhle and Stephan Thomae, the agreement reached in the coalition agreement for easier naturalization of members of the so-called guest worker generation is supported. However, an indefinite reduction in the requirement for all older people is rejected, as are exceptions for certain younger foreigners, as previously provided for in the draft by the Federal Ministry of the Interior.
Subsistence as a requirement for naturalization
In their paper, the FDP politicians also demand that only “those who can earn their own living and take care of their families” should be naturalized. This is what the draft bill that the Ministry of the Interior sent to the other departments for approval in January provides for so-called entitlement naturalization.
However, the planned reform of citizenship law would not change the exceptions that are possible under the current legal situation in the case of so-called discretionary naturalization. This regulation enables the immigration authorities to also naturalize people who live on state benefits “for reasons of public interest or to avoid particular hardship”.
“True oath to the Basic Law”
Kuhle and Thomae are also in favor of the “wide holding of naturalization ceremonies” and want to further develop the declaration of loyalty into a “real oath to the Basic Law”.
The draft formulated by Faeser’s house stipulates that a naturalization claim should generally exist after five years in the future. At present, those wishing to naturalize still have to prove that they have been legally resident for at least eight years. In the future, three years should be sufficient for special integration services.
No dual citizenship from the grandchild generation
In addition, the option requirement for children of non-EU foreigners born in Germany is to be abolished. This means that young adults do not have to choose between German citizenship and that of their parents. However, Thomae and Kuhle want people from the grandchildren generation of those who have been naturalized to decide on a citizenship.
“In the coalition agreement, it was agreed to check how foreign citizenships cannot be passed on to future generations,” said a spokesman for the Federal Ministry of the Interior. The ministerial draft of a law to modernize nationality law is currently being coordinated by the departments.
According to the spokesman, before the cabinet deals with the draft, it should also be discussed whether and how a “generation cut” can be implemented.
Greens consider the reform a milestone
Unlike the FDP, the Greens are very satisfied with the interior ministry’s plans. From their point of view, it could just go a little faster. “The reform of citizenship law will be one of the important milestones of this coalition,” says Filiz Polat, migration expert for the Greens parliamentary group. Your parliamentary group is expecting the draft law in March.
The traffic light partners agree that Germany, as a modern immigration country, needs up-to-date citizenship law. Polat adds: “From the point of view of the Bündnis 90/Greens parliamentary group, Minister Faeser has brought in a good draft.” Because if people live in Germany for a long time without being citizens, this is a massive democratic deficit.
Union: Criticism of the FDP is “pure political theater”
The Union sees completely different deficits. “With the general double passport and the halving of the time until naturalization, the traffic light devalues German citizenship a bit,” says parliamentary group leader Andrea Lindholz. This reduces the incentive to really integrate into society.
Even without these changes, Germany would still be modern and cosmopolitan, according to the CSU politician. The actions of the FDP, whose criticism of the reform plans is limited to a few minor points, is “pure political theatre”.