Strengthening Family and Citizenship: Proposed Enhanced Regulations by Coalition - Strengthening Family and National Belonging: Proposed Measures for Enhanced Citizenship Regulations
The newly formed coalition government in Germany, composed of the CDU/CSU and SPD, has outlined significant changes to migration policy, focusing on tightening family reunification and naturalization processes.
In a move aimed at reducing illegal migration and alleviating the strain on integration and reception systems, the federal government has approved two bills drafted by Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU). These bills require approval from the Bundestag.
Dobrindt emphasized the necessity of addressing the migration issue to counter societal polarization. Central to these changes is the restriction of family reunification for certain refugees, known as those with subsidiary protection status. These individuals, despite not receiving asylum or refugee protection, are allowed to stay in Germany due to political persecution, torture, or the risk of the death penalty in their home countries.
The proposed changes limit the number of family members that subsidiary protection holders can bring to Germany. This restriction only applies to close relatives, such as spouses, registered partners, and minors. The opportunity to bring family members to Germany will be put on hold for two years, with exceptions made for hardship cases. Those with urgent medical needs in their home countries may still qualify.
According to the available bill draft, as of the end of March, there were approximately 388,074 subsidiarily protected people living in Germany. The vast majority hail from Syria.
The government also plans to reverse the accelerated naturalization for particularly well-integrated immigrants after three years, a policy established by the traffic light coalition. This move has raised both criticism and praise from experts, with some viewing it as a means to reduce incentives for highly qualified people to come to Germany, while others see it as a correction of an overly easy access to German citizenship.
Notably, the Skilled Immigration Act and the current citizenship law will remain unchanged, with the reduction of the waiting period for normal naturalization from eight to five years and the permission for dual citizenship maintained by the CDU, CSU, and SPD, according to the coalition agreement.
The changes in family reunification and naturalization policies have sparked controversy. Supporters argue that these measures will improve the efficiency and credibility of migration policy, strengthen public support for legal immigration, and promote integration. On the other hand, critics contend that the restrictions harm vulnerable refugees and families seeking protection, undermine humanitarian principles and human rights, and risk stigmatizing migrants, potentially leading to integration difficulties.
The changes in migration policy reflect the coalition's intent to expedite deportations, address political pressures, and counter the far-right AfD by co-opting tougher migration rhetoric. However, these changes risk fueling social tensions and providing ammunition for the AfD's anti-migration agenda without resolving underlying conflicts.
- The proposed changes in Germany's migration policy, focusing on tightening family reunification and naturalization processes, are part of a broader employment policy aimed at regulating the influx of immigrants and alleviating the strain on integration and reception systems.
- As the new government announces policy-and-legislation changes in immigration, the politics surrounding migration continue to be a subject of general news, with the emphasis on family reunification restrictions for certain refugees raising controversial debates about its potential impact on humanitarian principles, human rights, and social cohesion.
