This summer, the German government is expected to approve a bill establishing a host of eases in obtaining German citizenship, which is considered one of the most desirable citizenships in the world.
According to the draft legislation published by the Ministry of the Interior in Germany, the waiting times for applicants for naturalization will be shortened to only 5 years, which is different from the existing law, which states that in order to receive German citizenship one must wait at least 8 years. Also, the complicated and bureaucratic process, which includes a language test and an integration test and lasts about two years from the moment the application is submitted, is expected to be less rigid.
After the bill is passed in Germany, a person who demonstrates impressive language skills or holds a profession that is considered very essential for the Germans will be able to apply for citizenship after only 3 years of residence in the country.
German passport | Photo: 123RF
Following the bill, which is expected to be passed already this summer, much criticism was heard that Germany is expected to become a country of immigrants. Interior Minister Nancy Feser replied to the critics: “Germany needs immigration, the birth rate in the country is very low, and without those ‘imported’ people, Germany will not be able to deal with the shortage in certain professions. Even today, even though there are two million unemployed in the country, there is a shortage of manpower in certain professions, As in the professions of nursing, teaching and various technological professions.”
Another question raised by critics of the law is how Germany will prevent potential terrorists from obtaining citizenship easily. The German government replied that any person who is found guilty of a certain crime, starting with anti-Semitism, marrying more than one woman, or a person who does not believe in the values on which Germany is founded, such as the value of equality, will not be allowed to join the coveted German community.
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