Berlin's new digital naturalization: Fast, secure and efficient!

Berlin's new digital naturalization: Fast, secure and efficient!

The naturalization process is currently being revolutionized in Berlin. Interior Senator Iris Spranger (SPD) emphasizes the efficiency and security of the digitalized process. She emphasizes that this procedure is in stark contrast to the analogous methods in other federal states. It could not pose a security risk. A thorough examination of the naturalization claim guarantees that only people without a criminal background or identity fraud receive German citizenship.

But what does that mean for citizens? The digitized inquiries to security authorities and complete access to the immigration file make it possible to virtually rule out misuse. The decisive advantage: naturalizations based on false information can be quickly reversed and any manipulations are quickly identified. “A commitment to the free, democratic basic order is also a prerequisite for everyone who wants to get a German passport,” adds Spranger.

Naturalization statistics and outlook

The numbers speak for themselves: an impressive 21,802 naturalizations were carried out in Berlin in 2022 - more than twice as many as in the previous year! In the first half of 2023, 20,060 naturalizations were added. The State Office for Immigration (LAE) has optimistic forecasts for the rest of 2023, in which around 40,000 naturalizations are expected. Berlin's Governing Mayor Kai Wegner (CDU) sees the newly introduced digital procedures as dispelling doubts as to whether these changes actually work.

The new Nationality Law, which will come into force on June 30, 2024, also stands in the context of these developments. This law, which was passed by the Federal Cabinet in August 2023 and passed by the Bundestag in January 2024, modernizes the previous regulations that were based on the “Reich and Nationality Act” of 1913. The reform aims to increase the naturalization rate, which was 1.1 percent in 2022, below the EU average of 2 percent, as well as to promote participation in society.

Naturalization in transition

With the new law, acquiring citizenship will become the rule if a relative of the immigrant has lived legally in Germany for five years. Former guest workers no longer have to take a naturalization test; Oral communication in German is sufficient. In addition, the option requirement, which made life difficult for many children with foreign roots in the past, no longer applies.

The reform also includes important security measures that have already been digitized and accelerated. These are intended to ensure that naturalization takes place properly and that abuse is prevented as far as possible. However, there are also critical voices about the reform proposals. Some observers believe that naturalization should be the end of the integration process and are concerned that expedited processing of applications is not always in the best interests of society.

With these changes, Germany is responding to the challenges as a country of immigration and is increasingly adapting to the needs of a diverse society. Further information on this topic is available from the Federal Government at federalgovernment.de, where the central importance of this reform for the future of naturalization in Germany is explained in detail.