New nationality law - Disabled people now have a harder time naturalizing - that's intentional
At the beginning of December, the meadows were covered in snow, a "Non-Naturalization Ceremony" took place before the Bundestag. Several organizations advocating for people with disabilities were concerned: A new Citizenship Law, which was being discussed in parliament at the time, could discriminate against people with disabilities during the naturalization process. Their plea: Do not forget this group in the new regulation.
Now, on Thursday, the new Citizenship Law has come into effect – and the regulation turned out exactly as the organizations had feared. One can only naturalize if, in addition to other requirements, they can secure their livelihood. According to the old law, there was an exception for those who could not take responsibility for this situation. This exception no longer exists with the new regulation.
For Sophia Eckert from the association "Handicap International," the case is clear: "The new law puts people with disabilities in a worse position than required by constitutional and international law," she told stern. The affected parties must now go the way of a hardship case application. However, this does not create a claim to naturalization, but the decision lies solely in the hands of the local authority. "This is not equal treatment of people with and without disabilities," criticizes Eckert.
This is a harsh criticism – but even the Federal Government Commissioner for the Interests of People with Disabilities expressed himself similarly in stern. So how did it come to this disadvantageous situation?
People with disabilities were not simply "forgotten," as the organizations had formulated it in December. "During the discussions on the law, this aspect was discussed in detail," said the deputy SPD faction leader Dirk Wiese to stern. Probably also because experts and experts criticized this detail during the hearing of the Interior Committee in December. For example, the legal scholar Sina Fontana from the University of Augsburg pointed out that the "complication regarding livelihood" was problematic from a constitutional perspective.
"People with disabilities were unfortunately not taken into account in the coalition," said Filiz Polat, the Green Party's migration policy expert, to stern. "This regulation was struck down on the insistence of our coalition partners," said the Greens, who participated in the negotiations on the law. This could affect rent recipients, people with a disease or a disability, and single parents, who cannot earn a living due to childcare obligations.
The SPD rejects this accusation: "The SPD faction would have wished for further exceptions in the livelihood security for people with disabilities, single parents, or students," said Wiese. "This was unfortunately not achievable in the coalition" – and points to the FDP.
It seems that the FDP had difficulty allowing dual citizenship – that is, allowing people to retain their foreign citizenship in addition to German citizenship. And in return, they pushed for making economic self-sufficiency a clear criterion for naturalization.
## Buschmann: Naturalization simplified for those who "live off their own handwork"
In fact, Justice Minister Marco Buschmann spoke clearly in the "Welt" on Thursday with a "clear message": Germany is making naturalization easier for those who "live off their own handwork," the FDP politician said. However, those who receive social benefits such as citizens' income or basic security are, in general, not eligible for naturalization.
This fits into a picture that has emerged in recent times: The traffic light coalition is under pressure in migration and social policy. The financial situation is difficult, the labor market is tense, and migration is an important issue for many voters. The Chancellor, for example, announces that citizens' income will be made "more effective" and the sanctions for those who evade work while receiving citizens' income will be tightened. The federal government also wants to expel foreigners more quickly who support terrorism. And the FDP wants to abolish citizens' income for fleeing Ukrainians.
Sophia Eckert of "Handicap International" is concerned about these developments and the concrete tightening of citizenship law: "The policy is sending a dangerous signal," she said. "We are only stamping passes on people who are fully employable, without considering whether the lack of employability is the person's own fault." The traffic light coalition is taking the disadvantage of people with disabilities lightly – although they have a right to equal treatment and social participation. "That should concern us all."
- In response to the concerns raised by disability advocacy organizations, Dirk Wiese, the deputy SPD faction leader, stated that the aspect of livelihood security for people with disabilities was discussed in detail during the discussions on the new Citizenship Law, but regrettably, further exceptions could not be achieved in the coalition.
- The new Citizenship Law has affected single parents, rent recipients, people with a disease or disability, and other groups who cannot earn a living due to certain circumstances, as they now have to go through a hardship case application for naturalization, with the decision solely in the hands of the local authority.
- Filiz Polat, the Green Party's migration policy expert, criticized the regulation, stating that people with disabilities were unfortunately not taken into account in the coalition negotiations on the Citizenship Law.
- The FDP, part of the coalition, had issues allowing dual citizenship and pushed for making economic self-sufficiency a clear criterion for naturalization, which led to stricter regulations for individuals who receive social benefits, including people with disabilities and single parents.
