In future, anyone who wants to be naturalized in Germany should no longer have to give up their citizenship of their family’s country of origin.
This emerges from a draft by the Federal Ministry of the Interior for a new nationality law, which was forwarded to the other federal government departments for approval on Friday. The project agreed in the coalition agreement for a “modern citizenship law” also relaxes the requirements for acquiring the German language for certain groups.
This is usually a prerequisite for naturalization. In addition, the minimum period of stay until the application is submitted will be shortened.
The draft, which is available to the German Press Agency, states that the facilitation of language tests and the obligation to take a naturalization test should be dropped for all foreigners who are at least 67 years old.
Hardship regulation and consideration of special integration services
In addition, there should be a hardship regulation for younger naturalization seekers. In justified exceptional cases – for example because a family member needs care – it should then be sufficient for the person concerned to be able to communicate orally in German in everyday life without any significant problems.
The draft generally provides for the possibility of naturalization after five years of lawful habitual residence in Germany – previously it was eight years. In the case of special integration achievements – such as outstanding achievements in school and work, voluntary work or particularly good language skills – a three-year stay should be sufficient.
The so-called option obligation for children of foreigners born in Germany, which was already limited by earlier reforms, is to be completely abolished. This means that as young adults they no longer have to choose between German citizenship and the citizenship of their parents.
In addition, the length of time a parent’s lawful habitual residence is required for a child of foreign parents to acquire German citizenship through birth in Germany will be reduced from eight to five years.
“Due to the significant reduction in the length of stay for one parent, the number of children of foreign parents who acquire German citizenship by being born in Germany will increase,” says the draft. (dpa)
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