Chancellor's government Merza fulfilled one of his key election promises – repealing regulations allowing “exceptionally well-integrated” people to obtain citizenship after three yearsinstead of the previous ones five. According to the German portal DW, a total of 450 members of the lower house of parliament voted “for”, 134 were “against”, and two abstained.
— A German passport must be a confirmation of the successful integration process, not an incentive for illegal immigration, said Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt, presenting the bill in the Bundestag.
- Angela Merkel never stopped dealing cards. “She has the aura of invincibility.” Friedrich Merz at war with the past [ANALIZA]
The rest of the civic reform introduced during the government Olaf Scholz by the coalition of social democrats, liberals and Greens, however, will remain in force. Among other things, it has not been withdrawn. the possibility of having dual citizenship or overall reduction in waiting times from eight to five years. The Social Democrats from the SPD (today a smaller partner in Merz's coalition) defended their previous solutions. They emphasized that the so-called the fast track was used rarely and was symbolic in nature.
- Donald Tusk boasts about his alleged success in the German case. “Cool, right?”
Government data cited by “The Guardian” shows that among the record numbers 300 thousand naturalization in 2024just several hundred people obtained citizenship under an accelerated procedure. The program was designed as an incentive for highly qualified specialists and people actively involved in social life. Candidates had to demonstrate, among others: fluent knowledge of German, volunteering activities or outstanding professional and scientific achievements.
— Germany is competing for the best minds in the world. If these people choose our country, we should do everything to stop them, argued Filiz Polat from the Green Party.
- Even a miracle won't help. Demography is dragging Germany to the bottom. “This is only the beginning of irreversible changes” [OPINIA]
The change in law is part of a broader phenomenon of cooling social attitudes towards immigration. In recent months, local governments have raised alarms about the growing strain on public services and the housing market. These sentiments translated into: increasing support for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD)which already ranks in some polls first place.
