Naturalizations in Saarland: Record number causes a stir!

Naturalizations in Saarland: Record number causes a stir!

A clear trend can be observed in Germany: more and more people are opting for naturalization. According to a report by wndn Naturalizations in Saarland have reached a record level. More and more foreigners are applying for a German passport and taking advantage of the easier conditions that the new citizenship law has provided since its reform.

In 2024, 249,901 people were naturalized across Germany, the highest number since 2000. This was preceded by a record in 2023 with 200,095 naturalizations. However, these figures only come from 13 federal states, and in some federal states such as Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Schleswig-Holstein, no overall figures were presented tagesschau.de reported.

New regulations and challenges

The most recent legal reform, which came into force on June 27, 2024, has made naturalization significantly easier under certain conditions. Applicants can now become naturalized after just five years of residence in Germany; In cases of special integration services, this is even possible after three years. Interestingly, applicants do not always have to renounce their original citizenship, which of course attracts many international citizens.

Citizens from Syria and Turkey in particular show great interest in naturalization. The average length of stay of newly naturalized people in federal states such as Baden-Württemberg was a remarkable 14.1 years. Nevertheless, the so-called “turbo naturalization”, in which people are naturalized after three or four years, remains the exception. In Rhineland-Palatinate, for example, only 20 such naturalizations were recorded, which underlines the rarity of applications.

Political reactions and the future of naturalizations

The topic is discussed politically controversially. Helmut Dedy, General Manager of the German Association of Cities, pointed out that the increase in applications is due to the reform of citizenship law. While the current government coalition made up of the Union and the SPD has plans to withdraw these simplified procedures, especially the “turbo naturalizations”, experts such as Achim Brötel, President of the German District Council, say that reality and symbolic politics are often far apart.

In addition to the discussion about naturalization, there are efforts to limit family reunification for certain refugees, which is also part of the new bill that is intended to influence the federal government's migration policy. Despite this political turmoil, naturalization remains an important issue that affects many people and is the subject of intense public debate.

Naturalization policy is therefore in flux, a trend that is being actively shaped by both political decision-makers and those affected. We can be curious to see how the framework conditions will develop in the future.