German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has just signed into law a new Nationality Law, allowing German citizens to have additional nationalities and making it easier for foreign citizens to acquire German citizenship.
The German Nationality Law, passed by the Bundesgesetzblatt in January, includes a number of changes, including cutting the time applicants must live in the country and lifting the ban on dual citizenship for people from outside the European Union (EU), the Bundesgesetzblatt (Federal Law Gazette) reported.
Specifically, the law includes a provision that allows non-EU citizens with a residence permit in Germany to become naturalized after only 5 years in the country (after 3 years in special cases) without having to give up their original nationality, which means they can have dual citizenship. Children born in Germany will automatically become citizens if their father or mother has been a legal resident for 5 years, down from 8 years.
The law will automatically come into force 14 days after it is signed by the Federal President. However, because the new Citizenship Law requires administrative agencies to adjust many procedures, it will take longer before it comes into force. No specific date has been set, but authorities have been given three months to prepare, meaning the law will come into force around June 22.
According to Al Jazeera, Germany has one of the most restrictive naturalization laws in the world , with citizenship only available to those who can prove German ancestry. Dual citizenship is only allowed for citizens of other EU countries. Observers say the change to the Nationality Law will allow tens of thousands of Turks living in Germany to qualify for German citizenship.
The Financial Times cited official statistics showing that about 10 million people living in Germany do not have a German passport and 5.7 million of them have lived in the country for at least 10 years.
HAPPY CHI
Source
Comment (0)