Germany’s naturalization figures are rapidly increasing, signaling a significant surge in the number of new citizens. The German Trade Union believes this robust growth indicates that the government has “completely turned in the wrong direction” in terms of citizenship laws.
According to the Federal Statistical Office of Germany, on May 28 (Tuesday), it was announced that in 2023, the number of people who gained German citizenship reached 200,095, marking an increase of approximately 19% compared to 2022 and setting the highest figure since 1999. The largest group obtaining citizenship came from Syria (75,485 people), followed by Turkey (10,735 people), and Iraq (10,710 people).
Additionally, individuals from Romania (7,575), Afghanistan (6,520), Iran (6,420), Ukraine (5,910), and Poland (5,440) also obtained German citizenship. In comparison to 2022, the biggest increase was seen in Iraqis with a 57% rise. Syrians increased by 56%, Afghans by 55%, and Iranians by 34%.
Statistics show that in 2023, Syrians accounted for more than a third of all new German citizens (38%). The average age of Syrians naturalizing in Germany was 24.5 years, with 64% being male. Before naturalization, they had spent an average of 6.8 years in Germany.
During the period from 1994 to 1999, the number of people gaining German citizenship reached its highest level due to the issuance of passports to German expatriates from Eastern Europe. Subsequently, the number of naturalized citizens in Germany significantly decreased, partly due to the declining migration of ethnic Germans from Russia and the major reforms in citizenship laws during the Red-Green coalition era.
Since the citizenship law reform in early 2000, the number of foreign-born children requiring naturalization has decreased as they automatically acquire German citizenship at birth.
Prior to January 1, 2000, Germany followed a citizenship model based on jus sanguinis, where a child could become a German citizen if at least one parent held German citizenship. After 2000, Germany integrated jus soli along with jus sanguinis, meaning that children born in Germany to foreign parents no longer needed naturalization to become German citizens.
As a result, approximately 40,000 newborns are affected by this change each year. Overall, “from the implementation of the citizenship law reform up to 2022, around 802,000 children born to foreign parents in Germany have acquired German citizenship.”
According to the annual report of the Citizenship Act effective in 2023, foreigners can typically naturalize in Germany after residing for eight years. Under Article 10 of the Citizenship Act, for exceptional integrators, this period can be shortened to seven or six years, and family members of naturalized individuals can also be expedited for citizenship.
Germany’s new naturalization law will come into effect on June 27 this year, reducing the residency requirement for foreigners in Germany from eight years to five years, with exceptional integrators now eligible for citizenship after three years. The German Immigration Office anticipates a further increase in the naturalization rate.
The 2023 naturalization statistics demonstrate that German citizenship is one of the most sought-after nationalities globally, allowing Germans visa-free access to numerous countries. Consequently, Alexander Throm, the domestic policy spokesman of the CDU, the largest opposition party in Germany, stated, “The government’s citizenship reform is entirely in the wrong direction.” He believes, “There is simply no reason to lower citizenship thresholds except hoping for more grateful voters in the next federal elections.”
Such naturalization reforms increase the risk of citizenship for individuals who have not fully integrated into society. Throm argues, “Recent protests led by German passport holders, including many from the Hariri community, must serve as a wake-up call for all of us.”
Throm emphasizes, “Anyone seeking to become German must adhere to our values, principles, and even Germany’s dominant culture.”