"Devaluation" of citizenship?

Union castigates wrong way of the traffic light with naturalization

Created: 01/10/2023, 15:45

By: Bedrettin Bölükbasi

More popular than in Hamburg for 22 years: the German passport or German citizenship, which is necessary to obtain the passport.

(Iconic image) © Matthias Balk / dpa

The traffic light coalition is planning easier naturalization.

Resistance comes from the Union.

She sees a "devaluation" of German citizenship.

Munich – The traffic light government already laid down its intention in the coalition agreement: naturalization should be made easier.

In a speech last June, Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) underlined this intention and called for a "modernization" of naturalization law.

The project is now taking on a more concrete form.

While the traffic light parties SPD and FDP see important reasons, the Union is opposed.

Naturalization: Ampel wants to take concrete steps towards simplification

For several weeks, the coalition has been increasingly concerned with the planned reform of naturalization law.

Next week, the departmental coordination based on a draft from the Federal Ministry of the Interior under Nancy Faeser (SPD) should take place, the

newspaper reported.

Accordingly, it should be significantly easier to get the German passport.

According to the plan, immigrants should be able to obtain German citizenship after just five years, or even after three years if they are particularly committed.

In the future, a lack of knowledge of German should less often stand in the way of the desire for naturalization, with exceptions for cases of hardship and immigrants over 67 years of age.

In addition: With the abolition of the so-called option obligation, the scope of dual citizenship will be expanded.

Union against simplified naturalization - "devaluation of German citizenship"

The Union has so far strictly rejected the traffic light project.

This is justified with the position of the German passport.

Although it is positive that Germany is attractive to foreigners who want to live and work here, said the parliamentary director of the Union, Thorsten Frei (CDU), the

.

At the same time, however, he warned: "The traffic light plans seem to me like a devaluation of German citizenship."

Frei spoke of a "180-degree turnaround" and criticized that the SPD and the Greens were on the wrong track.

For example, the Union wants “people to integrate here and become part of our society”.

The plans of the Social Democrats and Greens are, however, a kind of "naturalization without integration efforts".

Ampel plans easier naturalization: coalition partner FDP is now open

Within the traffic light, only the FDP seems undecided about the right attitude.

This attitude is likely to prove critical.

Frei stated that he was "very curious" about the position of the FDP.

At the same time, however, he expressed his fears: "The FDP is falling over and opening the doors to a policy in which we as a country cannot have any interest."

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The FDP falls over and opens the doors for a policy in which we as a country cannot have any interest.

Thorsten Frei (CDU), Parliamentary Secretary

Frei's fears don't seem entirely unfounded.

Compared to the

, Stephan Thomae, the parliamentary manager of the FDP parliamentary group, was basically open to the traffic light project.

"Germany's economic power and prosperity also depend on whether we succeed in directing foreign workers into the German labor market in a targeted manner," he emphasized.

Therefore, in addition to an immigration law with a point system, foreigners "who meet certain requirements and want to become part of our society" want to be able to naturalize more quickly.

Thomae explains: "Because if someone has integrated well, that's a success that we want to reward." This also contributes to Germany's attractiveness to foreign workers.

SPD wants to push through simpler naturalization – leftists are behind the project

The SPD is enthusiastic about the project.

Group deputy Dirk Wiese described easier naturalization as "a gain for integration in our country, a recognition of realities of life and a sign of respect and appreciation for the generation of guest workers".

After all, she contributed to Germany's economic success.

Wiese also emphasized to the

that in many countries with modern immigration laws, dual citizenship is a reality.

The left is also behind the plan to make it easier to obtain German citizenship.

"Facilitating naturalization is an important and overdue step to enable everyone in this country to participate," Die

quoted chairwoman Janine Wissler as saying.

The “principle of second-class residents” must end.