Stricter immigration policies enacted by both Black and Red entities - potential shifts in policy forthcoming
The newly formed Black-Red coalition in Germany has announced a tightening of migration policies, focusing on family reunification and accelerated naturalization. The changes, proposed by Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt, have sparked criticism from various quarters.
In a move seen as restrictive, the government aims to limit the opportunity for certain refugees to bring close relatives to Germany. This affects individuals with subsidiary protection status, who are permitted to stay in the country due to political persecution, torture, or the death penalty in their home countries.
The limited family reunification will be restricted to spouses, registered partners, and minor children. The suspension applies for two years, though hardship cases are excluded. However, the draft bill does not define who these cases might involve.
The draft bill stipulates that the main aim is to reintroduce the "limitation" as an explicit objective into the Residence Act. This is intended to alleviate the burden on municipalities, particularly in providing housing. The legal hurdles for tightening restrictions on other groups are generally high, but family reunification can be suspended relatively easily.
The proposition has been met with dismay by refugee organization Pro Asyl, which sees it as closing safe and legal escape routes. The Green Party Leader Droge has also criticized the citizenship brake, referring to the change as a regression in policy.
Another significant change is the withdrawal of accelerated naturalization for particularly well-integrated immigrants, who were previously granted citizenship after three years. Several experts offer mixed perspectives on this, with some expressing concern that the withdrawal particularly affects highly qualified people who might be desired in Germany, while others argue that it corrects the impression of overly easy access to German citizenship.
Under the new policies, the reduction of the waiting period for normal naturalization from eight to five years and the permission for dual citizenship will remain in place, according to the coalition agreement. The government further plans to accelerate the deportation of rejected asylum seekers, expand the list of safe countries of origin, and maintain internal border controls. Emphasis will also be placed on integration, including investments in language and integration courses, and initiatives like specialized language kindergartens.
The Black-Red coalition's announced migration policies, focused on family reunification and accelerated naturalization, have been criticized by refugee organization Pro Asyl for potentially closing safe and legal escape routes, due to the limitation of family reunification only to spouses, registered partners, and minor children, and the suspension for two years. In politics, this proposition has been referred to as a regression in policy by Green Party Leader Droge. Meanwhile, the withdrawal of accelerated naturalization for particularly well-integrated immigrants, a significant change in the employment policy, has sparked mixed opinions among experts, with concerns raised about its impact on highly qualified individuals desired in Germany, contrasting views about correcting the impression of overly easy access to German citizenship.
