The changes in the German citizenship law allow many Israelis to apply for and receive citizenship (Photo: ShutterStock)
German authorities recently approved 80 applications for citizenship of members of one family. This is an Israeli and apparently global record for the number of applications by members of one family approved for citizenship. The legal support, which included the submission of applications and the conduct vis-à-vis the German authorities, was provided by the office of Adv. Nir Lenker, the oldest and leading firm in the field located in the Electra City Towers in central Tel Aviv.
According to Lenker, the eligibility of family members to receive citizenship stems from changes in German law that now allow even those who were residents of the country, and not only citizens, and fled it due to the rise of the Nazis, to obtain citizenship.
"The father of the family," says Lenker, "was born in Poland and moved to Germany before the Nazis came to power. The center of his life was in Germany, but he was not a citizen of the country but a permanent resident. With the rise of the Nazis to power, the father of the family fled to Israel, where he raised a large family. Some of his descendants were previously interested in obtaining German citizenship but were not eligible under the law at the time, but with the change in the law in 2021 they became eligible. Eligibility for the father of the family (who has since passed away) also grants eligibility to his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren."
German authorities accepted Lenker's 80 applications based on a new section of German law. Until 2021, those who lived in Germany as a resident and not as a citizen, their descendants were not eligible for citizenship. "In 2021," Lenker explains, "a new section of the German citizenship law was enacted, in which it was determined that under certain conditions, a person who is a descendant of someone who fled Germany due to Nazi persecution will be able to receive citizenship, even if that person was only a resident. The goal of the German authorities is to benefit the descendants of those who were forced to flee the terror of the Nazis. It is important to understand that this is someone who lived in Germany on the eve of the war and established a life there for himself, both as a resident and not just as citizens."
The change for many Israelis is significant. This is due to the fact that during this period many Jews lived there without citizenship, those who lived and worked in the country as permanent residents. Many of them came to Germany from Poland, Lithuania, the Czech Republic and other Eastern European countries. When the Nazis came to power, these residents were the first to be expelled, because they were not citizens of the state. "They did leave all their money and property in the country at the time of the deportation," adds Lenker, "but in fact they were saved from the horrors of the Holocaust. Many of them came to Israel and started families here."
As for the 80 family members who have now received German citizenship, Lenker adds that the applications in their case were submitted shortly before the law was enacted, and about a year and a half later they were approved.
The uniqueness of Nir Lenker Law Office is the close accompaniment to applicants. Unlike other offices, where applicants are asked to independently obtain the necessary documents, in Lenker's office, apart from signing the power of attorney, the entire process and its monitoring are carried out by the firm's personnel.
"It prevents a lot of mistakes in the documents and prevents procrastination," says Lenker. "Because we do this, we obtain the documents from Israel and Germany, the applications are submitted quickly, usually within a maximum of 60 days, and we provide full and comprehensive accompaniment until obtaining naturalization from Germany."
How to choose a law firm for issuing a German passport The
changes in the German citizenship law and the easing of restrictions that have come into effect in recent years allow many Israelis who were not previously eligible for German
citizenship to apply for and receive citizenship and a foreign European passport, and it seems that many indeed wish to do so. However, where there is demand, there is also a supply of lawyers or other companies who want to enter the "party."
How, then, do you find the professional and experienced lawyer who will best accompany the process? Adv. Lenker, whose veteran firm has already accompanied thousands of clients in obtaining German citizenship, agreed to share with us some useful tips when choosing a lawyer.
"There are many firms that present themselves as experts in German law," he says, "but before clarifying the price for this process, it is important to make sure that we have come to the right place."
1. List of the German Embassy – The website of the German Embassy in Israel has a list of offices specializing in German law recommended by it. "Before you contact a particular lawyer, check the list, make sure that he appears in it, and only then agree to receive service from him."
2. The recommended list of the Bar Association - a free list that appears on the Bar Association's website, where you can locate experts in foreign law, divided by country. "If you are interested in going to a particular lawyer's office," explains Adv. Lenker, "it is recommended to make sure that he is indeed on the list of experts on German law on the bureau's website."
3. Expertise in German law - "If you meet a lawyer who deals with both German passports, Portuguese citizenship and French law, this is a warning light for you," warns Attorney Lenker. "I'm not talking about the large firms that employ hundreds of lawyers and have different departments, but about small firms that present themselves as experts in foreign law, regardless of each other."
Attorney Lenker also warns against farmers, businessmen who are looking for economic trends. "Don't go to various consultants who aren't even lawyers," warns Lenker. "Applying for citizenship takes between a year and a half to three years, and you want someone to accompany you throughout the process and not disappear in the middle, when this fashion dies out."
4. Make sure the lawyer understands and speaks German - "It sounds almost trivial," says Lenker, "but you will be surprised how many lawyers who do not understand German at all present themselves as experts in obtaining German citizenship and passports. You must check that the lawyer you have chosen speaks German fluently. If he doesn't know, you're in the wrong place. You can't practice German law without knowing German, it's neither serious nor professional."
Attorney Nir Lenker - German citizenship for 80 descendants of those who fled Germany (Photo: Nimrod Cohen)
Who deserves German citizenship?
Who is eligible for German citizenship under the new laws? The new sections of the German citizenship law expand the scope of eligibility for citizenship and allow those who were not previously eligible to receive citizenship to do so. Attorney Lenker clarifies that anyone who has any German connection and is interested in issuing a passport should check whether he meets the new criteria.
"Don't delay," he clarifies, "check and act now. Laws are dynamic and changing, and you never know what a day will bring, and how Germany will behave in a year or two." Three main changes were made to the German citizenship law and significant leniencies were made: Until a few years ago,
German law ruled that those born to a German father who were not married and fled the terror of the Nazis were not entitled to citizenship. Today, even if you are a descendant of someone who did not marry, you can obtain citizenship.
Until 2019, offspring of women were inherently discriminated against. A descendant of a German woman who fled due to the Nazi rise to power, born before 1953, was not eligible for citizenship. This law created absurd situations in which the eldest son born to a German woman before 1953 was not eligible for citizenship while her younger sons, born later, were eligible.
The most substantial relief for those who wish to obtain German citizenship came into effect, as stated, in 2021. The amendment states that not only descendants of those who were German citizens and fled the terror of the Nazis are entitled to German citizenship, but also those who were residents of Germany, with the status of residents and not citizens.
"This is the most significant relief for Israelis," emphasizes and concludes Adv. Lenker. There is hardly a country that would grant citizenship to someone who was just a resident. We need to take advantage of it now and not procrastinate. If you know that your parents were Poles who came to Germany and then fled, you are probably also eligible for citizenship. It is therefore worthwhile for those who are entitled to take advantage of the window of opportunity, because it is not known if, when and how things will change in the future."
For more information, call 03-5052141, onthe websiteandon the Facebook page. Address: HaRakevet 58 (Electra City Tower) Tel Aviv
To the firm's page on the legal website Article courtesy of Zap Legal
The information presented in the article does not constitute legal advice or a substitute for it and does not constitute a recommendation to take proceedings or refrain from proceedings. Anyone who relies on the information appearing in the article does so at his own risk
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