According to a report, the German government has agreed on a reform of citizenship law. As the "Süddeutsche Zeitung" reports in its Friday edition, citing the 49-page draft law by Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD), naturalizations are to be significantly simplified and thus the integration of migrants is to be facilitated. Above all, immigrants who have been living in Germany for several years should be able to become citizens more quickly.

According to the reform, the period after which people with a migration background can only become citizens after eight years of residence in Germany is to be reduced to five years. In the case of "special integration achievements" such as good language skills, volunteer work or very good performance on the job, naturalization should be possible after just three years, as the "SZ" reports.

Previous citizenship no longer has to be given up

Children born in Germany to foreign parents should also be able to become Germans more quickly. The condition: one parent must have been living legally in Germany for five years. Until now, this has only been the case after eight years. In the case of seniors who are older than 67 years, Faeser wants to delete written language certificates as a prerequisite, according to the report. Instead, oral ones should suffice in the future.

One of the important changes is that the previous nationality no longer has to be relinquished. The old legal principle no longer corresponds to practice anyway, the paper says. For years, most naturalizations have been carried out despite further citizenship.

Above all, the FDP had criticized the first reform plans from November in the traffic light coalition. Faeser and Justice Minister Marco Buschmann (FDP) have agreed on changes to the previous plans and a draft, reports the "SZ". For example, it should be more clearly regulated that certain crimes exclude naturalization. For example, racist, inhuman or anti-Semitic acts are explicitly mentioned.

In the future, public prosecutors should actively report such crimes to immigration authorities in order to prevent naturalizations in such cases. In addition, only those who are "economically integrated" and earn their own living, i.e. do not receive any social benefits, should be able to become citizens.

There will be exceptions, for example, for long-term guest workers who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own, or for parents of minor children if one parent works. Details of the draft will continue to be worked on, it said. According to the "Süddeutsche Zeitung", the draft is to go to the federal states and associations for a hearing on Friday. It is to be adopted by the cabinet in the summer.

"We want people who have become part of our society to be able to shape our country democratically," Faeser told the SZ. This is also crucial "to attract the skilled workers we urgently need". With the reform, immigrants would no longer be forced to "give up part of their identity". This is a "paradigm shift". But it also applies: "Racism, anti-Semitism or any other form of misanthropy stands in the way of naturalization – there is no tolerance whatsoever. If you don't share our values, you can't become German."