The authorities of the federal state plan to grant citizenship to around 40,000 people this year. The sharp increase in naturalizations is due to a significant simplification and shortening of the procedure to just five years. What’s more, in case of any doubt, the decision to grant a German passport is made in favor of the applicant. “Gazeta Polska Codziennie” reports on Germany’s so-called “fight” against immigration.
Last year, Berlin granted German passports to approximately 20,000 foreigners. This year, that number is expected to double — all because of changes in the law, according to Gazeta Polska Codziennie.
Last year, a new citizenship law was passed, allowing foreigners to obtain a German passport more quickly. After just five years of legal residence in Germany, individuals can apply for citizenship — and they can keep the passport of their country of origin. The legal changes also apply to children of immigrants born in Germany after June 27, 2024, provided that at least one parent has been legally residing in Germany for at least five years.
That same year, the so-called “four-eyes principle” was abolished — a rule under which officials making decisions were supervised by their superiors. As the newspaper Bild reminds us, now in case of doubt, the decision on naturalization is made in favor of the applicant.
“Making mistakes is human nature. However, fear of making a mistake should not clearly hinder the decision-making process!” — state the guidelines for granting German citizenship.
Furthermore, checks throughout the procedure have become less stringent. Individuals who have already been issued a German passport are to be naturalized “without further examination.” In addition, birth certificates and pension documents are no longer reviewed.
Another factor influencing naturalization could be that 38.6% of employees at the Office for Immigration (LEA) are of foreign origin. The agency left Bild’s questions unanswered regarding the countries of origin of the naturalized citizens and the lifting of the dual-control rule.
In Berlin alone, thousands of people are waiting to receive a German passport. For the state authorities, mass immigration and the continuous arrival of asylum seekers pose an increasing challenge. As previously reported by Codzienna, between 2022 and 2024, the Berlin Senate allocated nearly 5 billion euros for social benefits for refugees and asylum seekers. “That is nearly 5% of the federal state’s (Berlin’s) budget,” the media point out.