The two bills were actually supposed to be passed in the Bundestag before Christmas. But the traffic light factions still needed to talk about the proposals on how naturalizations should be accelerated and deportations should be carried out more effectively. That’s why the schedule was postponed. Now, as can be seen from a brief report from the SPD, Greens and FDP factions, they have reached an agreement. The main points of the reform of the nationality law and the law to improve repatriation.
Naturalization will be possible earlier
“With modern citizenship law, we are finally recognizing the realities of life,” says Green Party deputy group leader Konstantin von Notz. People living permanently in Germany finally received real prospects: “That’s why we’re shortening it The naturalization period is five years.” Naturalization is currently possible after eight years.
The prerequisite for naturalization is that the person can make a living on their own and without government help. SPD deputy parliamentary group leader Dirk Wiese told the Reuters news agency that exceptions had been agreed for women of the guest worker generation, for example. There is scope for discretion for people with disabilities and pensioners receiving social assistance. The point had been one of the points of contention among the parliamentary groups, with the Greens and SPD MPs campaigning for the exceptions.
If you perform well at school or at work, have good language skills or do volunteer work, you should Naturalization may be possible after just three years. Anyone who wants a German passport should no longer have to give up their old one. This already applies to EU citizens and some special cases, but not to people from Turkey, for example. Children born in Germany to foreign parents should automatically receive a German passport if at least one parent has had a permanent right of residence for more than five years.
More effective deportations
Deportations should be made easier, among other things, by: Departure custody from ten to up to 28 days is expanded. This should not apply to minors, unless they are serious offenders. A deportation must be carried out if those who are obliged to leave the country are detained no longer announced become. The expulsion of smugglers and members of criminal organizations will also be made easier.
On this point, the Greens’ deputy parliamentary group leader von Notz said that the Greens had to “make painful compromises”. It had been discussed whether people who were placed in detention pending deportation or deportation would automatically be admitted free of charge public defender should be put aside. The extended entry permit for picking up a person to be deported also met with criticism from the Greens. It has now been agreed that a lawyer will be called in, but only after the person concerned has been taken into custody.
Sea rescue is not a crime
Also the one agreed by the coalition Restriction of asylum seeker benefits be included in the package. If proceedings drag on, they should only be entitled to benefits similar to social assistance after 36 months instead of the current 18 months. The coalition members also agreed on a legal regulation that made it clear that the Sea rescue of refugees will not be criminalized in the future either. A passage in the Home Office’s original bill suggested that people who help migrants enter the EU without visas could be prosecuted.