- Protracted delays in obtaining citizenship through naturalization
The recent Immigration Law has lead to a surge in requests for German citizenship, resulting in lengthy wait times in numerous municipalities. For instance, all appointments in Cologne are now fully booked until the end of the year, and applications for naturalization will only be handled again from September, as reported. To address this influx, the staff in the naturalization department of the Immigration Office in Cologne is set to increase from 30 positions to 90 by the year's end.
A city spokeswoman told Deutsche Presse-Agentur that they have received a massive amount of expressions of interest, inquiries, and even applications for naturalization in the tens of thousands, which could theoretically fill all appointment slots for the year 2025 if processed immediately. Last year, 3,800 people were naturalized in Cologne, and they expect around 10,000 naturalization applications in the future.
In Bielefeld, over 1,500 applications for naturalization have been submitted since the start of 2024 - a figure that surpassed the yearly total of 2,000 in 2023. The average processing time for an application is approximately 1.5 years. Bielefeld is currently piloting the introduction of an online naturalization application system. However, the current measures are deemed insufficient, and an increase in staff is being considered.
The processing time for naturalization applications also depends on other authorities
The number of naturalization applications has seen a significant increase in Düsseldorf and Essen as well. In Essen, the waiting period for appointments for consultations or certificate handovers is eight months. However, naturalization applications can now be submitted online without a prior consultation, as reported.
In Düsseldorf, the waiting period for appointments varies widely, with the overall processing time also depending on the time taken by other involved authorities, a spokeswoman noted. "The Migration and Integration Office has no control over the processing time of the involved authorities."
In Dortmund, around 1,700 people were naturalized in the first half of 2024. At the same time, around 10,000 naturalization applications were received, with a similar number expected for the second half of the year. Appointments for personal consultations must be waited for up to nine months, a spokesman said. The staff in the naturalization department has already been tripled to around 25 since 2021. An additional need for 10 full-time positions is projected for 2025.
Criticism over short notice
The new Immigration Law, implemented by the traffic light coalition on June 27, grants a claim to naturalization after five years instead of the previous eight, provided the applicant meets the required conditions. Foreigners can become German citizens after three years with special integration achievements. Conditions for faster naturalization include academic or professional achievement, good language skills, or volunteer work. Additionally, dual citizenship, known as multiple citizenship, is usually allowed.
The head of Cologne's Immigration Office, Christina Boeck, criticized the three-month gap between the announcement and the implementation of the law. "We repeatedly advised the federal government, along with other municipalities, that we needed ample time to naturalize multiple people annually," Boeck said. "We feel neglected by the federal government with this immediate implementation."
In response to the surge in naturalization applications, the city of Bielefeld is considering an increase in staff in its naturalization department to manage the high demand. This follows the trend seen in other cities like Cologne, Düsseldorf, and Essen, where the number of applications has significantly increased.
