In his first month as the German Minister of the Interior, Alexander Dobrindt has already introduced two significant immigration bills to Parliament, demonstrating his commitment to a stricter immigration policy.
One bill aims to restrict family reunification for refugees, while the other seeks to eliminate the “express” naturalization process, which previously allowed individuals to attain citizenship after just three years of residency.
“Today marks a pivotal step in our efforts to reduce irregular migration and alleviate the strain on our integration systems,” Dobrindt remarked. “Our objective is to minimize incentives for migration, bring more structure to the process, and uphold humanitarian principles.”
The ongoing migration crisis has exacerbated social divisions, the minister claimed, underscoring the need for decisive action.
Family reunification pertains to individuals with subsidiary protection status. These are refugees who do not qualify for full asylum or refugee status in Germany but are permitted to stay due to threats of political persecution, torture, or execution in their home countries.
According to the proposed legislation, as of the end of March, roughly 390,000 people with subsidiary protection reside in Germany. Since August 2018, 1,000 individuals per month have been admitted as relatives of those under this protection, amounting to about 12,000 annually.
Last year, a total of 229,751 individuals applied for asylum in Germany for the first time. Family reunification had previously been limited to immediate relatives, such as spouses, registered partners, and minor children. However, those with subsidiary protection will no longer be able to bring their family members to Germany for two years, barring exceptional hardship cases, although the bill does not clearly define what constitutes such cases.
Stricter Naturalization Processes
Furthermore, the “black-red” coalition (consisting of conservatives and social democrats) plans to revoke the expedited naturalization option established for well-integrated migrants after three years of residency—a provision set by the previous three-party coalition. These so-called “turbo naturalizations” were contentious for the Christian Democrats during their time in opposition, and removing them was a part of their campaign platform.
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