Turks in Germany can obtain dual citizenship

BERLIN

With the amendments to be submitted in the coming days, the German government plans to facilitate the acquisition of citizenship for foreigners, which also enables Turks residing in Germany to obtain “dual citizenship.”

The coalition government led by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz started to work to strengthen the integration of immigrants into society and political participation through the citizenship reform.

The government aims to accelerate and facilitate the transition to German citizenship of immigrants living in the country with new regulations.

In order to apply for citizenship, the requirement to have been legally residing in Germany for eight years will be reduced to five years, while this period will be shortened even more for those who have achieved special success in integration during their at least three-years residency in Germany.

People with advanced German language skills and those who have achieved significant success in their academic or professional lives, or in volunteer works, will be evaluated in this context.

The right to dual citizenship, which those of Turkish origin in Germany have been waiting for years, is also included in the reform package.

With the law change, Germany will abandon its principle of “preventing multiple citizenship,” that has been applied to date.

Accordingly, everyone who acquires German citizenship will have the right to retain their original citizenship.

In the draft prepared by the German Interior Ministry, which has not yet been finalized, envisages important changes for the first generations coming to Germany.

In this context, language proficiency requirements will be eased for those over the age of 67, while these people will also be exempted from the citizenship test, which includes questions about the legal and social order of Germany.

On the other hand, citizenship applications of those who do not respect the freedom of religious thought in the Constitution and those who have an entrenched patriarchal family structure that constitutes a violation of equality between men and women will be rejected.