German conservatives demand tougher naturalization rules, seek to reverse reforms

A leading politician from Germany's conservative CDU party is demanding a rollback of the current government's citizenship reforms, citing a record high in naturalizations. Alexander Throm, the domestic policy spokesperson for the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, stated that the worst aspects of the "traffic light" coalition's changes to citizenship law, particularly the "turbo-naturalization" process, must be reversed.

Throm specifically targets the provision that allows individuals to become citizens after just three years of residency. He advocates for extending this period back to eight years. Furthermore, he seeks to eliminate the general acceptance of dual citizenship, a policy he believes should be abolished. However, Throm acknowledged that the CDU was unable to push through its stance on dual citizenship during coalition negotiations with the SPD.

Echoing these calls for stricter regulations, Hesse's Interior Minister Roman Poseck, also from the CDU, has likewise demanded legal changes. The article notes that the current government's reforms aimed to modernize and streamline the naturalization process, partly in response to labor shortages and integration challenges. The CDU, however, argues that the relaxed rules could lead to an unmanageable increase in new citizens and potentially undermine social cohesion.

The debate highlights a significant political divide over immigration and integration policies in Germany. While the current government emphasizes the need for a more efficient naturalization process to attract skilled workers and integrate newcomers, the opposition CDU is pushing for a more restrictive approach, prioritizing longer residency periods and stricter conditions for obtaining citizenship.

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We could abolish the worst of the traffic light reform on citizenship law, namely turbo-naturalization after just three years.