The German government has recently passed legislation that will make it easier for foreigners to obtain citizenship and hold their original passports alongside the German one. This major reform, passed by the Bundesrat, will allow foreigners to keep their original identity when obtaining German citizenship.
The decision to simplify the citizenship procedures came after debates between delegates from various political parties. Mahmut Özdemir of SPD emphasized that allowing multiple nationalities would allow individuals to maintain their identity when naturalizing, a practice already standard in many countries around the world. However, not everyone supported the new law, with Thomas Strobl of CDU arguing that citizenship should only be granted to those who have successfully integrated.
The new law, expected to take effect in May, will reduce the waiting time for citizenship applicants. Foreign citizens will be eligible to apply for German citizenship after just five years of living in the country, down from the current eight years. Those married to German citizens will see the waiting time reduced to four years.
The new law also includes eased rules for guest workers who arrived in Germany from the 1950s onwards. This group of people will no longer be required to undergo a test, only having to prove their proficiency in the German language to gain citizenship.
The reform is expected to have a significant impact, with approximately 5.3 million people currently living in Germany eligible for citizenship. The Turkish community in Germany is expected to benefit greatly from the new legislation, with around 500,000 Turkish nationals projected to apply for German citizenship once the law comes into effect.
Gökay Sofuoglu, the head of the Turkish Community in Germany, welcomed the new law but expressed concerns about the potential challenges of processing the high volume of applications. Currently, around three million people of Turkish heritage live in Germany, with approximately 1.5 million still holding Turkish citizenship.
Overall, the new citizenship law in Germany represents a significant step forward in simplifying the citizenship process and allowing individuals to maintain their original identity while acquiring German citizenship.
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