New German coalition to abolish 3-year citizenship path
New German coalition to abolish 3-year citizenship path
The incoming coalition of Conservatives and Social Democrats wants to end a fast-track path to citizenship. Dual citizenship will remain.
Summary
Germany's incoming coalition government, led by the CDU/CSU and SPD, will abolish the 3-year expedited citizenship path for "well-integrated" immigrants, introduced in 2023.
Critics labeled the policy "turbo" naturalization and argued three years was too short.
The standard 5-year path with B1-level German remains, and dual citizenship will continue to be allowed.
The coalition dropped proposals to revoke citizenship from dual nationals deemed extremists, opting instead to focus on expulsion measures for non-citizens who threaten democratic order.
Smart move to do this at the exact time when you potentially can brain drain the US of a lot of talent and knowledge. Thanks a lot CDU, real 4D chess.
I don’t think German citizenship is why Americans would want to move to Germany.
It might certainly be a factor, though: German citizenship is very "valuable" in the sense that it opens a lot of possibilities for travelling. A lot of countries (and we are not just talking EU member states here) do not require as much paperwork or none at all if you own a German passport compared to a US one.
Setting aside the fact that the government pandering to anti-immigration sentiment will generally dissuade high-skill migrants, being able to get citizenship easily is an attractive prospect.
It is absolutely a factor in me looking for a place to emigrate. I am at the point where I am seriously considering renouncing my citizenship if I can emigrate and become a citizen of another country.
As someone who moved to Germany in the last two years, gaining a permanent right to stay in this country was a part of our thought process. Gaining citizenship, which gives us voting rights and makes us "German" was just as important because we were picking our new home country. Who doesn't want to feel "at home" in their country, instead of a guest? And earning EU citizenship which further protects us from shitty singular governments like the current grand coalition is even furthermore important.
So yes, this decision sucks ass and it has further cemented my understanding that the grand coalition are centralist or right leaning parties who will continue to allow the decline of society even if it's more gradual than what the AFD would achieve. Our version of Democrats and Republicans-lite.
It's why I would want to move there.
This is fucking depressing to read. As someone who moved to Germany two years ago, gaining citizenship is important to us. When we moved here they were just announcing the expedited opportunity and we were stoked to know we were welcome in this country. It reinforced our decision. Now they look to take it away and although the 5 year plan will still exist, it signals clearly that the CDU don't want highly educated immigration - they will blame immigrants while they raid the coffers of their country - and the SPD will gladly move further to the right if it means they get to stay in power.
This is incredibly disappointing. It's not enough to change our plans, like if the AFD won, but I consider the grand coalition to be a "continued decline" coalition. If another country offered me and my family a guaranteed path to citizenship, with similar worker rights and benefits as Germany, we'd now have to consider it seriously. As aerospace engineers we're not exactly struggling to find technical work.
Furthermore the fact that both parties considered revoking citizenship for any reason from anyone is unbelievably terrifying. If anyone's citizenship can be removed, everyone's citizenship can be removed and that's something I completely disagree with. It's dangerous territory and completely disgusting to read that the SPD considered it.
Had no idea even 5 year citizenship for rando immigrants in Germany existed. Maybe I should look into it, hmm. The US is looking bleak right now.
Smaller cosmopolitian countries tend to have looser immigration laws to accommodate the period influx and exodus of their populations. One of the supposed virtues of the EU was to make trade and travel easier without requiring people to give up and reacquire citizenships every time they move across a border or change a job.
But then a smattering of NATO states decided to start carpet bombing the Middle East, dominoes started falling, climate change took its tool, and now you've got mass migrations of millions fleeing the fallout. And Germans are freaking out over it, in no small part because the old Fash-Heads of the prior generations have found a way to gain political leverage by hitting the PANIC button over and over again.
The US has always been bleak, unless you’re wealthy and designated white.
There goes my backup plan to get out of America
Harder without a phd
Looks like a duck, smells like a duck.... It's a.... nazi
No, you may disagree with changing the minimum time from 3 to 5 years, but this is not 'a Nazi'. Let's keep that word for actual Nazi things, instead of 'things I vaguely disagree with'.
It's not even that strict. In Denmark you have to have been a resident continually for 9 years, with no long periods of travel abroad, before you can even apply for citizenship, as well as a 'permanent residence' permit.
You also have to have been employed continually for 3½ of the previous 4 years, have a clean criminal record, as well as pass several Danish exams and a citizenship test where you must demonstrate knowledge of Danish society, culture, history and so on.
After that, you have to participate in a ceremony where you shake hands with the mayor or alderman of your municipality, sign a declaration where you swear to comply with the Constiturion, respect Danish values and laws, and support democracy.
THEN your name is added to a formal law which must be passed by the parliament - as Danish citizenship is awarded by law.
Germans do something I disagree with.
Oh if it isn’t the rise of the fourth reich.
This is not AfD unless they have a coalition. For those who don't know Germany deported international students for participating in peaceful protestest.
Not Germany, but Berlin, as in the state. And so far they only tried to, or at least I haven't yet anything to the contrary. It's up to the courts, the Berlin state government will have to demonstrate that those people are a danger to public safety, push come to shove not just before Berlin's administrative courts (which are saner than its administration) but also federal and then European ones.