Berlin – Germany’s debate over how easily long-term residents should be able to obtain a German passport flared up again on Sunday, 24 May 2026. Speaking to the press, Christian-Democratic Union (CDU) law-maker Alexander Throm said the governing coalition’s 2024 citizenship reform had gone “too far” and announced that the CDU/CSU group will table a motion in the Bundestag to roll back several liberalisations. In particular, the conservatives want to • lengthen the standard qualifying residence period for naturalisation from five back to eight years, • abolish the general right to hold dual or multiple citizenships, and • exclude people whose legal status is still based on humanitarian protection from becoming citizens until they have returned to their country of origin and re-applied from abroad. Behind the move is a looming all-time high in naturalisation numbers. Preliminary Federal Statistical Office figures point to more than 320 000 passports issued in 2025 – up from the previous record of 292 000 in 2024. Conservative MPs argue the surge shows that expedited pathways such as the five-year rule, and the three-year fast track for „outstanding integration achievements“, have created incentives that “water down the value of the German passport”. Analysts note, however, that the rise was largely expected: large refugee cohorts that arrived in 2015/16 have now met the five-year minimum plus language and integration requirements. Business-immigration lawyers warn that a return to an eight-year rule and restrictions on dual citizenship would dent Germany’s attractiveness for globally-mobile talent just when the country is trying to plug growing skills shortages. “Many intra-company transferees see the prospect of dual nationality as a long-term incentive,” says Jana Meyer, mobility lead at a Frankfurt auto-tech supplier. A tougher line could therefore complicate recruitment under the Skilled Immigration Act and the new Opportunity Card system, especially for executives who expect international career mobility. For employers, the political tug-of-war means that HR policies around long-term assignments and localisation packages remain a moving target. Global-mobility teams are advised to: 1) track the parliamentary timetable – the opposition does not have a majority, so any reversal would require coalition support or success in the Bundesrat; 2) brief assignees that all current naturalisation applications continue under the existing five-year rule; and 3) prepare communication plans should pathways tighten again, particularly for key talent expecting dual nationality. Ultimately, the debate underscores how closely immigration, integration and labour-market strategy are intertwined in Germany’s policy arena.
Source: Die Zeit / dpa
