German politician Karin Prien, the vice-chair of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), has expressed her reservations about the constitutional implications of revoking the citizenship of serious offenders. In an interview with the “Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung” (NOZ), Prien stated that the criticism of this measure as unconstitutional is unfounded. According to her, the Basic Law sets a barrier against statelessness, but this is not the issue in these cases. Rather, it is about individuals who committed serious crimes and were granted additional citizenship, only to lose it again after a relatively short period of time if they violate the law.
Prien’s lawyers hold that this is a legitimate measure. “Those who commit serious crimes must reckon with the loss of their German citizenship – that’s a clear message” she said, adding that this aligns with the expectations of many citizens.