Citizenship in danger: German test becomes a hurdle for many!

Citizenship in danger: German test becomes a hurdle for many!

In Austria there are currently heated discussions about the awarding of citizenship, especially with regard to the language skills of the applicants. Mayor Klaus Schneeberger said and explained that due to the legal framework, he was often prevented from refusing citizenship if the knowledge of German is not sufficient. In the event of an upcoming municipal council election on January 26, 2025, he will again take on the top candidate for the People's Party. He demands clear regulations and measures to ensure that citizenship is only awarded to fully integrated people, since knowledge of the German language is the minimum. This became particularly clear by the revocation of the citizenship of a Ukrainian who did not sing the federal anthem at the award ceremony in October. The incident was adopted by the Lower Austrian state government and both the FPÖ and the ÖVP stand behind this decision, such as Wienerstadt.at reported.

Changes to the right of nationality in Germany

parallel developments show that there are also considerable changes to naturalization requirements in Germany. From June 27, 2024, the so -called option obligation will be abolished. This means that foreign people no longer have to choose a nationality. A naturalization claim will also only exist for people who have been living in Germany for at least five years. Former nationals who no longer meet this condition are no entitled to easier in the naturalization procedure. The new nationality law does not provide for special treatments for these persons and they are subject to the general rules, such as the