German Government to Revise Naturalization Process, Citing Insufficient Integration Period
Germany’s Interior Minister, Alexander Dobrindt, is set to present a bill in the cabinet on Wednesday to abolish the accelerated naturalization process for integrated immigrants, which was introduced by the previous government. The move is aimed at reducing the number of asylum seekers as well.
According to Dobrindt, the express naturalization process, which granted citizenship after three years of residence, was a mistake. He told the Bild newspaper that the German citizenship should be the culmination of an integration process, not the beginning. The minister believes that the current process has created “false incentives for illegal migration” and aims to reduce these “pull factors” by revising the law.
Dobrindt also stated that living in Germany for three years is not sufficient time for individuals to integrate into the country’s way of life. The proposed changes are expected to have a positive impact on the country’s asylum seeker numbers.