AMMAN — Germany plans to relax citizenship rules under legislation approved by the cabinet on Wednesday, a project the government says will boost the integration of immigrants and help an economy struggling with a shortage of skilled workers.
Legislation passed by Chancellor Olaf Scholz and his ministers still requires approval by the lower house of parliament, where the three-party liberal-social coalition has a comfortable majority.
It could go into effect in January, depending on how quickly that happens.
The government plans to make people eligible for citizenship after spending five years in Germany, or three years in the case of “special integration achievements”, instead of eight or six years at present.
Children born in Germany will automatically become citizens if one parent has been a legal resident for five years, down from eight years now.
Restrictions on holding dual citizenship will also be dropped.
Existing laws force people from non-EU countries and Switzerland to renounce their previous nationalities when they obtain German citizenship, although there are some exceptions.
Sky News Arabia