On Wednesday, the German Bundestag reversed a migration policy reform introduced by the previous coalition government. The option for accelerated naturalization after three years of residence in Germany has been scrapped without replacement by the newly passed law. In future, German citizenship can only be applied for after at least five years of residence. Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) spoke of a “clear signal” to remove incentives for illegal migration.
In a roll-call vote, 450 members of parliament supported the bill. Alongside MPs from the governing coalition of the CDU/CSU and SPD, the AfD also voted in favor. There were 134 votes against, coming from the Left Party and the Greens, and two abstentions.
“The German passport will be available as recognition of successful integration and not as an incentive for illegal migration,” Dobrindt said in the Bundestag. For this reason, fast-track naturalization will be abolished “without replacement.” Although “naturalization is an important factor for cohesion in our country,” Dobrindt said, “it is only so if it comes at the end of an integration process and not at the beginning.”
Last year, in its reform of citizenship law, the traffic light coalition created the possibility for immigrants to obtain a German passport after only three years. The prerequisite for this was special achievements in integration. Dobrindt's draft law leaves other points of the traffic light government's citizenship reform in force. The reform reduced the minimum period of residence in Germany prior to naturalization from eight years to five years in most cases – and this is to remain unchanged.
There will also be no change to the general acceptance of dual citizenship. Naturalized citizens do not have to renounce other citizenships if they want a German passport. AfD MP Jochen Haug accused the governing coalition of staging a show” in order to “sell people a migration turnaround that does not exist.” In reality, he said, the coalition was leaving the “disastrous” citizenship reform of the former government “largely unchanged.”
SPD deputy parliamentary leader Sonja Eichwede emphasized in her speech that the newly passed law does not affect the recognition of dual citizenship, which the CDU/CSU had long opposed. “This settles a long-standing conflict,” she said. “With today’s decision, all coalition partners recognize dual citizenship.” Eichwede downplayed the removal of the so-called “turbo naturalization,” saying, “It was barely used.” In her home state of Brandenburg, she noted, the provision had been applied in only one case.
The Greens sharply criticized the rollback. Green MP Filiz Polat warned that abolishing fast-track citizenship could deter urgently needed skilled workers from abroad. “This backward-looking policy harms both integration and the economy,” she said. Left Party MP Ferat Kocak accused the coalition of pandering to the far right. “With your migration policy, you are normalizing the hate of the AfD, and then you wonder why the AfD becomes the strongest political force,” he said.
The social welfare organization Diakonie expressed regret over the decision. “Instead of rewarding integration, this policy discourages it, and effectively says that commitment doesn’t pay off,” said Elke Ronneberger, head of social policy at the organization. Economic advisor Martin Werding also voiced criticism, telling rbb Inforadio that the government had “failed to consider labor migrants who are extremely valuable to Germany amid a shortage of skilled workers.”
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