The German government has eliminated differences over the reform of citizenship law. The bill, which is intended to simplify naturalization, was sent to the states and associations on Friday. There was agreement between the SPD, the Greens and the FDP on shortening the period from eight to five years, and even to three years in the case of special integration services. This is already laid down in the coalition agreement. However, the coalition has wrestled with some of the other requirements for naturalization until the very end.

Helene Bubrowski

Political correspondent in Berlin.

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The most contentious point concerned the issue of economic integration. At the insistence of the FDP, the coalition has agreed on the principle that the receipt of social benefits excludes naturalization. Those who want to be naturalized must be able to support themselves and their family members without state support. Exceptions apply to special cases of hardship, which are now expressly named in the law.

The receipt of benefits does not preclude naturalisation if the applicant is employed full-time (this refers to so-called top-ups) and has been employed for at least twenty months in the past two years. An exception also applies to applicants with minor children.

In addition, for guest workers who entered the Federal Republic of Germany before 1974 or contract workers who came to the former GDR by 1990, the loss of their jobs through no fault of their own should not hinder naturalization, even if they receive social benefits. This group of people is also facilitated by the proof of language skills. "We want to honor the enormous lifetime achievement of the guest worker generation for our country," said Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD).

The draft law has now also included the clarification that "anti-Semitic, racist, xenophobic or other inhumanely motivated acts" violate the free democratic basic order. A commitment to this is a prerequisite for naturalization. In the future, public prosecutor's offices will be obliged to inform the authorities that decide on naturalisation whether an inhuman motive has been found in a criminal judgment. In such cases, sentencing to light penalties also precludes naturalization. "If you don't share our values, you can't become German," said Faeser, adding that there is no tolerance.