A debate has emerged within the governing coalition regarding the potential revocation of German citizenship from individuals holding dual passports.
The proposal, put forward by the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) concerning passport withdrawal, has been questioned, with Sebastian Fiedler, the SPD parliamentary group’s spokesperson for domestic policy, stating it would not significantly advance efforts to combat international terrorism. He emphasized this perspective in an interview with the “Handelsblatt”.
Fiedler argued that the focus should instead be on bolstering the capabilities of the federal security agencies and equipping them with expanded authorities. This, he contends, is necessary not only for traditional counter-terrorism efforts but also to safeguard against hybrid threats originating from countries like Russia, China and Iran. A consensus exists within the coalition on this point.
Alexander Throm, a domestic politician from the CDU, previously advocated for citizenship revocation. He noted that German citizenship can already be forfeited by those participating in foreign terrorist combat operations. According to Throm’s view, there would be no reason to exclude terrorist activities committed within Germany from that measure.