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Berlin government wants to speed up German citizenship process

Berlin's returning SPD, Greens and Left government has laid out plans to grant more than double the current number of citizenships per year.

Published: 17 November 2021 11:51 CET

Two men recieve German citizenship documents in Berlin

Two men recieve their German citizenship documents in the Berlin district of Neukölln. Photo: picture-alliance/ dpa/dpaweb | Miguel Villagran

In their next term, the coalition plans to ramp up the number of citizenships granted to 20,000 per year – a significant jump from the current annual figure of 7,000.

To achieve the new annual targets, the parties say they will make the process of gaining citizenship both quicker and more digital for applicants.

Announcing the plans on Monday, the Social Democrat’s state party leader Franziska Giffey revealed that around 400,000 permanent residents of Berlin currently meet the conditions for obtaining German citizenship.

However, many face long waits due to the current speed of processing applications, which often varies depending on the district.

Giffey also hinted at Monday’s press conference that the next administration could also transfer responsibility for granting citizenships from the borough to the city level – though this has not yet been confirmed.

Such a move would help standardise waiting times for citizenship applications regardless of where people live within the city.

“We want a functioning city for everyone who lives here,” said Bettina Jarasch, state party leader of the Greens. “That also applies to those who don’t yet have a German passport, and those who have immigrated here.”

The news of the citizenship targets in Berlin comes as Germany’s likely next government thrashes out a coalition agreement that could see them liberalise citizenship and naturalisation law.

If coalition talks between the SPD, Greens and FDP succeed, the residency requirements for citizenship could be shortened in Germany – a change that could see a greater number of people become eligible for citizenship in the coming years.

In addition, the parties have laid out initial plans for ending the ban on dual citizenship.

Migration advisory council

In the course of their next term, the Berlin coalition also plans to set up a new council that will tasked with advising the government on the potential room for manoeuvre in German immigration law and migrants’ right of residence.

They also plan to agree a quota for accepting refugees in need of special protection, such as mothers with children. This number would be in the “low three-digit range”, according to Giffey.

Following the state elections on September 26th, the SPD, Left and Green parties have been in talks to form another so-called red-red-green coaliton, named after each of the parties’ colours.

On Friday, they will be thrashing out a shared policy on the hotly debated topic of affordable housing, the parties also revealed.

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Output is expected to expand 0.3 percent this year, the economy ministry said, up from a prediction of 0.2 percent in February.

The slightly rosier picture comes after improvements in key indicators — from factory output to business activity — boosted hopes a recovery may be getting under way.

The German economy shrank slightly last year, hit by soaring inflation, a manufacturing slowdown and weakness in trading partners, and has acted as a major drag on the 20-nation eurozone.

But releasing its latest projections, the economy ministry said in a statement there were growing indications of a “turning point”.

“Signs of an economic upturn have increased significantly, especially in recent weeks,” Economy Minister Robert Habeck said at a press conference.

The ministry also cut its forecast for inflation this year to 2.4 percent, from a previous prediction of 2.8 percent, and sees the figure falling below two percent next year.

“The fall in inflation will lead to consumer demand — people have more money in their wallets again, and will spend this money,” said Habeck.

“So purchasing power is increasing, real wages are rising and this will contribute to a domestic economic recovery.”

Energy prices — which surged after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine — had also fallen and supply chain woes had eased, he added.

Several months ago there had been expectations of a strong rebound in 2024, with forecasts of growth above one percent, but these were dialled back at the start of the year as the economy continued to languish.

‘Germany has fallen behind’

But improving signs have fuelled hopes the lumbering economy — while not about to break into a sprint — may at least be getting back on its feet.

On Wednesday a closely-watched survey from the Ifo institute showed business sentiment rising for a third consecutive month in April, and more strongly than expected.

A key purchasing managers’ index survey this week showed that business activity in Germany had picked up.

And last week the central bank, the Bundesbank, forecast the economy would expand slightly in the first quarter, dodging a recession, after earlier predicting a contraction.

German Economics Minister Robert Habeck

Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) presents the latest economic forecasts at a press conference in Berlin on Wednesday, April 24th. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Michael Kappeler

Despite the economy’s improving prospects, growth of 0.3 percent is still slower than other developed economies and below past rates, and officials fret it is unlikely to pick up fast in the years ahead.

Habeck has repeatedly stressed solutions are needed for deep-rooted problems facing Germany, from an ageing population to labour shortages and a transition towards greener industries that is moving too slowly.

“Germany has fallen behind other countries in terms of competitiveness,” he said. “We still have a lot to do — we have to roll up our sleeves.”

Already facing turbulence from pandemic-related supply chain woes, the German economy’s problems deepened dramatically when Russia invaded Ukraine and slashed supplies of gas, hitting the country’s crucial manufacturers hard.

While the energy shock has faded, continued weakness in trading partners such as China, widespread strikes in recent months and higher eurozone interest rates have all prolonged the pain.

The European Central Bank has signalled it could start cutting borrowing costs in June, which would boost the eurozone.

But Habeck stressed that care was still needed as, despite the expectations of imminent easing, “tight monetary policy has not yet been lifted.”

In addition, disagreements in Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s three-party ruling coalition are hindering efforts to reignite growth, critics say.

This week the pro-business FDP party, a coalition partner, faced an angry backlash from Scholz’s SPD when it presented a 12-point plan for an “economic turnaround”, including deep cuts to state benefits.

Christian Lindner, the fiscally hawkish FDP finance minister, welcomed signs of “stabilisation” in the economic forecasts but stressed that projected medium-term growth was “too low to sustainably finance our state”.

“There are no arguments for postponing the economic turnaround,” he added.