New German government to abolish 3-year citizenship path – DW – 04/10/2025
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The incoming coalition of Conservatives and Social Democrats wants to end a fast-track path to citizenship. Dual citizenship will remain.

Summary

Germany’s incoming coalition government, led by the CDU/CSU and SPD, will abolish the 3-year expedited citizenship path for “well-integrated” immigrants, introduced in 2023.

Critics labeled the policy “turbo” naturalization and argued three years was too short.

The standard 5-year path with B1-level German remains, and dual citizenship will continue to be allowed.

The coalition dropped proposals to revoke citizenship from dual nationals deemed extremists, opting instead to focus on expulsion measures for non-citizens who threaten democratic order.

  • gusgalarnyk@lemmy.worldEnglish
    141·
    5 days ago

    This is fucking depressing to read. As someone who moved to Germany two years ago, gaining citizenship is important to us. When we moved here they were just announcing the expedited opportunity and we were stoked to know we were welcome in this country. It reinforced our decision. Now they look to take it away and although the 5 year plan will still exist, it signals clearly that the CDU don’t want highly educated immigration - they will blame immigrants while they raid the coffers of their country - and the SPD will gladly move further to the right if it means they get to stay in power.

    This is incredibly disappointing. It’s not enough to change our plans, like if the AFD won, but I consider the grand coalition to be a “continued decline” coalition. If another country offered me and my family a guaranteed path to citizenship, with similar worker rights and benefits as Germany, we’d now have to consider it seriously. As aerospace engineers we’re not exactly struggling to find technical work.

    Furthermore the fact that both parties considered revoking citizenship for any reason from anyone is unbelievably terrifying. If anyone’s citizenship can be removed, everyone’s citizenship can be removed and that’s something I completely disagree with. It’s dangerous territory and completely disgusting to read that the SPD considered it.

    • UnfortunateShort@lemmy.worldEnglish
      52·
      5 days ago

      I hate the CxU as much as anyone else, but as far as my understanding goes, and in fairness to them, the 5-year plan is still more generous than what most other countries offer

      • gusgalarnyk@lemmy.worldEnglish
        6·
        5 days ago

        I find that relativity is one of the greatest frictions against doing better - and it’s frustrating for this reason. 5 years is better than most other countries. That’s true. Is that a good number though, or is it just better? That’s the actual conversation I want to have, and I think relativity ruins meaningful progress and improvement.

        Eating bland, unseasoned chicken is better than eating raw chicken - but that doesn’t mean we should settle for it.

        Just because other nations have antiquated and arguably bad citizenship requirements doesn’t mean we shouldn’t improve ours. And reversing progress is worse than being stagnant, and defending that is encouraging it imo.