#german-citizenship

#german-citizenship

The Bundestag voted on Wednesday to get rid of a fast-track citizenship law put in place under the previous government led by center-left Social Democrat (SPD) Olaf Scholz. The vote passed with ease, because the proposal is one of very few from the coalition government to meet the approval of the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD), the largest opposition party. In total, 450 members of the lower house of parliament voted in favor, 134 opposed, and two abstained.

Who is German and what exactly makes someone German? Germans have been arguing about these issues for centuries. The current German constitution, called the Basic Law, is clear and concise: a German is anyone with a German passport. Citizenship cannot be revoked. And discriminating against citizens on the basis of their religion, origin or language violates the fundamental values of the constitution.

"Staying in Germany as a freelancer has never been easy - or cheap, and applying for citizenship is just as burdensome."