Germany Abolishes 'Turboeinbürgerung' Fast-Track Naturalization Amid Criticism

Germany has officially ended the "Turboeinbürgerung," a fast-track naturalization process allowing citizenship after just three years of residency. The Bundestag passed a law requiring foreign nationals to reside in Germany for at least five years to qualify for naturalization, eliminating the shorter path introduced by the previous coalition government (IDs 92687, 92678).

Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) emphasized that citizenship should represent the culmination of an integration process rather than an early reward. He expressed satisfaction with the reform, viewing the previous three-year fast-track as a misleading incentive. However, critics from the Greens and Left parties described the move as a step backward for integration policy (ID 92678).

Migration expert Jannes Jacobsen from the German Centre for Integration and Migration Research (DeZIM) labeled the legislative change as symbolic politics, highlighting that only 13% of foreigners met the prior fast-track criteria. He pointed to persistent bureaucratic delays in processing citizenship applications, which can take from six months up to more than four years due to administrative overload and lack of qualified personnel (ID 92687).

Despite tightening naturalization requirements, including demands for sufficient income, good German language skills, and societal engagement, the reform leaves the option for dual citizenship intact. Critics argue that these tougher conditions contradict Germany's urgent need for skilled labor and call for enhanced integration policies and better housing solutions to attract talent (ID 92687).