German Cabinet Signs off Plan to Ease Path to Citizenship
The German government's proposal includes a shorter period of residency as a requirement, and allowing dual citizenship.
The German government's proposal includes a shorter period of residency as a requirement, and allowing dual citizenship. Lawmakers still have to approve it.Germany's government on Wednesday presented a proposal that to reform the country's citizenship law.
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The plan allows for dual citizenship, simplifies the naturalization process and shortens the amount of time required before applying from eight years to five years.
Those who can demonstrate a high level of integration and advanced German language skills will be able to obtain citizenship after just three years under the draft proposal.
It must still be deliberated on by both houses of Parliament.
Government seeks to plug labor shortages
Citizenship reform was a major pledge made by Chancellor Olaf Scholz's center-left coalition, which took power in late 2021.
Germany's government is seeking to attract foreign workers to fill labor shortages.
"We are in the middle of a global competition for the best minds," Interior Minister Nancy Faeser told the Redaktionsnetzwerk news service on Wednesday.
"But we will only win the best minds if they can become fully part of our society in the foreseeable future," she said.
Faeser added that the law reflected Germany's "diverse society."
The German Press Agency (dpa) reported that the draft explicitly excludes people convicted of committing crimes for anti-Semitic or racist reasons.
More to follow...
sdi/fb (AFP, EPD, Reuters)
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(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 23, 2023 04:40 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).