Increase in number of citizenship approvals reaches new high
Record Number of German Citizenships Granted in Previous Year
In a remarkable development, a remarkable number of individuals became German citizens last year, surpassing previous records since unified records began in 2000. According to a survey conducted by "Die Welt am Sonntag," a total of 249,901 people received German citizenship in 13 federal states last year. The number of citizenships granted in 2023 was also a record-breaking 200,095.
Several states provided preliminary or partial data, while some had already published their statistics in recent days. However, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Schleswig-Holstein did not disclose the total numbers.
Following the liberalization of citizenship laws by the then-coalition government, the rapid increase in naturalizations occurred. The current black-red government, however, plans to revise the law again.
On June 27, 2024, a reform of the citizenship law took effect, allowing immigrants to obtain German citizenship faster. The new coalition of Union and SPD is contemplating reversing the accelerated naturalization after just three years.
Despite the potential revision, other aspects of the citizenship law reform, which were passed by the SPD, Greens, and FDP, will remain in place. The reduction of the waiting period for regular naturalization from eight to five years, and the allowance for dual citizenship, will be maintained by the CDU, CSU, and SPD, according to the coalition agreement.
Helmut Dedy, the main executive of the German Towns Association, stated that many people who came during the large refugee movements in 2015 and 2016 are now applying for or have already obtained German citizenship. He added that the abolition of the requirement to renounce one's original citizenship in certain cases also encourages more applicants.
The influx of Ukrainian refugees following the Russian invasion may also contribute to the surge in citizenship applications. However, this is more related to temporary protection rather than immediate citizenship.
The current German government is focusing on integration measures, such as language training and education support, to help migrants and refugees integrate into German society. However, details about any future revisions to the citizenship law are yet to be publicly disclosed.
- The record number of German citizenships granted in 2023 and the previous year could be a topic of discussion under the 'general-news' category, as it involves migration and politics.
- The potential revision of the German citizenship law by the black-red government could be a subject in the 'Community policy' and 'Employment policy' sections, as it may affect integration measures such as language training and education support for immigrants.
