The number of people obtaining German citizenship has increased significantly in the last two years, representing a difference of more than 100,000 naturalisations.
According to a survey conducted by the Welt am Sonntag, which included 25 German cities, the number of people who became German citizens in 2023 reached the highest annual record in the last 23 years. Data show that a total of 200,100 obtained German citizenship in 2023, up from 81,007 recorded in 2022, Schengen.News reports.
The newly naturalised German citizens are often from Syria, Türkiye, and Iraq, in addition to Romania and Afghanistan, and more than half of the new citizens come from these countries.
New Rules Cause an Increase in Citizenship Applications
This increase in the number of naturalisations could be attributed to the changes that the German government has implemented in recent years, which include allowing dual citizenship as well as granting citizenship after five years of residency.
As of June 24, 2024, the German government has allowed dual citizenship, which is welcomed by foreigners who want to obtain citizenship. This means that they are allowed to become German citizens without having to give up their previous citizenship.
According to the VisaGuide Passport Index, Germany has the sixth strongest passport in the world, allowing its citizens visa-free entry to 105 countries. Spain, Italy, France and Hungary are ranked higher than Germany, but only the Spanish passport allows its holders visa-free entry to more countries than Germany does – a total of 107.
Citizenship Applicants Subjected to Long Waiting Time for Their Passports
So far, in 2024, 122,882 have obtained German citizenship, a number considerably lower than in the previous year. One of the reasons why fewer people became German citizens in 2024 is related to the backlog in applications.
Candidates who want to become German citizens must wait more than one year to receive their passports. Staff shortage has also impacted these numbers.
It is estimated that more than 40,000 candidates in Berlin are waiting to have their citizenship application response. This number is expected to grow even more considering the other German cities. Currently, it takes 18 months for an application to be processed.
The survey has also revealed that 217,000 citizenship applications are still waiting to be processed across 20 German cities.
It is considered that over one-quarter (27.5 per cent) of the German population has a migrant background, indicating they could be migrants who have migrant parents or grandparents. Germany has the highest average population with a migrant background in the EU.
Source: https://schengen.news/naturalisations-in-germany-increased-significantly-since-2022/
