The waiting times for the processing of German citizenship applications for some applicants have surpassed two years, according to a recent investigation by Hessenschau.
The same reveals that there are several factors leading to the long waiting processing times, Schengen.News reports.
The investigation from Hessenschau reveals that in the federal state of Hesse, about 36,000 people who have applied for German citizenship are waiting for their applications to be processed for more than 32 months.
The same reveals that in Frankfurt, some applicants wait for about 28 months, and in Giessen, about two years.
At the same time, in Offenbach, applicants wait between 18 and 22 months for processing, and in the state capital, Wiesbaden, waiting times are between 19 and 23 months.
Delays in Hesse Driven by 2 Main Factors
According to the report, the delays in obtaining German citizenship in Hesse are driven by two main factors.
The first one is related to the increasing number of persons who came to Germany from Syria in 2015 and have recently been eligible for citizenship.
The second one is the new German Citizenship Law, which allows dual citizenship for non-EU citizens after five years of residency in Germany.
A report from I Am Expat notes that, unlike some other German federal states, the application process in Hesse begins with an in-person interview instead of an online application followed by an interview.
The investigation from Hesseschau reveals that in Berlin, applicants are also subject to extended waiting times when it comes to acquiring citizenship.
The same reveals that 40,000 applications are pending in Berlin, while an 18-month wait is considered optimistic.
The application processing centre in Berlin, LEA, warns of long waiting times without providing further details on the matter.
Surge in Number of Applications for Citizenship
Germany implemented the new Naturalisation Law on June 27, 2024. The new law aims to allow foreigners living in Germany to obtain German citizenship within a shorter period without being required to give up their previous nationality.
Following the implementation of the new citizenship law, the number of applications for German citizenship marked an increase.
In Hamburg alone, there was marked a notable increase in interest in naturalisation in Germany.
Last month, a spokesman for the Office for Migration said that since June 27, the number of naturalisation applications in Hamburg has nearly doubled, reaching 6,0000.
A report from Welt revealed that this is double the number of naturalisation applications submitted during the same period in 2023.
Source: https://schengen.news/waiting-times-for-obtaining-german-citizenship-in-some-cases-surpass-2-years-hessenschau-report-finds/
