The Administration of Berlin Wants to Speed Up the Process of Obtaining German Citizenship

The coalition government of Berlin plans to increase the number of passports provided per year more than twice. If the current annual figure is 7,000 people, then the target is 20,000. The parties stated that in order to achieve the new annual goals, they will make the process of obtaining citizenship faster and more digital for applicants.

The leader of the Social Democrats Franziska Giffey, announcing the relevant plans on November 15, 2021, said that about 400,000 permanent residents of Berlin currently meet the conditions for obtaining German citizenship. However, many have to wait a long time due to the current application processing speed, which often varies depending on the area.

The politician also hinted at a press conference that the responsibility for granting citizenship can be transferred from the level of the district administration to the city level. Such a step will help to standardize the time of consideration of applications for citizenship, regardless of which area the applicants live in.

"We want a functioning city for everyone who lives here. This also applies to those who do not have a German passport yet, and to those who have immigrated here," Bettina Yarash, the leader of the Green Party, had said.

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News of citizenship targets in Berlin came as the likely next German government worked out a coalition agreement that could help liberalize the law on citizenship and naturalization.

If the coalition negotiations are successful, the residence requirements for obtaining citizenship in Germany may be reduced. This could lead to more people becoming eligible for citizenship in the coming years. In addition, the parties outlined plans to lift the ban on dual citizenship.

During its next term, the Berlin coalition also plans to create a special council tasked with advising the government on potential room for maneuver in German immigration law and the right of migrants to reside.

Source: The Local

Quoting conditions of Prian.info materials