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.
I don’t think German citizenship is why Americans would want to move to Germany.
Germany allows dual citizenship and I’ve read a study a while back stating that a clear and fast way to citizen status is attractive to many “high performers”.
As someone who moved to Germany in the last two years, gaining a permanent right to stay in this country was a part of our thought process. Gaining citizenship, which gives us voting rights and makes us “German” was just as important because we were picking our new home country. Who doesn’t want to feel “at home” in their country, instead of a guest? And earning EU citizenship which further protects us from shitty singular governments like the current grand coalition is even furthermore important.
So yes, this decision sucks ass and it has further cemented my understanding that the grand coalition are centralist or right leaning parties who will continue to allow the decline of society even if it’s more gradual than what the AFD would achieve. Our version of Democrats and Republicans-lite.
I 1000% would love to get citizenship in a country I move to. An easier path would certainly help my location decisions.
It’s why I would want to move there.