The Government of Germany on Wednesday passed legislation aimed at limiting migration, including the suspension of family reunification, on the heels of a recent increase in border controls.
The governing coalition, made up of Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s Conservatives and the Social Democrats, also voted to remove an expedited naturalisation process introduced by former Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s government.
Furthermore, ministers agreed to enshrine in law that fact that Germany intends to “limit” migration, rather than simply “control” it as is currently the case.
This comprehensive tightening of regulations still requires approval from parliament by July.
“Today is a decisive day for reducing illegal migration,” Conservative Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said at a press conference.
The two-year suspension of family reunification for refugees who have not received asylum will “directly relieve municipalities” with limited accommodation capacity, he said, adding that it aims to deter migrants by removing the possibility of later bringing relatives to Germany.
This measure had been in place from 2016 to 2018 during the big migration crisis, he noted.
The minister also announced the removal of the option for foreigners to acquire German citizenship after three years if they demonstrate good integration. This reverts to the previous legislation, where naturalisation could occur no earlier than after five years.
This was a campaign promise made by the Conservatives during the February 23 legislative elections, which were dominated by migration issues, particularly after several deadly attacks involving foreigners in the preceding months.
The far-right, anti-immigrant AfD party had capitalised on these concerns, achieving the best result in its history, and finishing second in the election.
