The Minister in charge of internal affairs - Requiring Process to Withdraw Naturalization
The municipal government in Halle, Saxony-Anhalt has been asked by their state's Interior Ministry to rescind the citizenship of a Syrian man. Reports from MDR suggest that this individual allegedly promoted a Hamas terrorist attack against Israel in a music video, which occurred shortly after his naturalization in Halle.
Interior Minister Tamara Zieschang (CDU) expressed her expectation for prompt action: "I anticipate the city of Halle to promptly initiate the process for the revocation of citizenship," she said. "German citizenship is a precious asset that should not be obtained through deception."
The Interior Ministry requested the naturalization department in November to implement a new requirement for individuals seeking German citizenship. Candidates needed to explicitly acknowledge their support for Israel, stating, "I unreservedly recognize the unique German responsibility for the state of Israel and its existence, and vehemently condemn any anti-Semitic actions. I have not and will not pursue any actions targeting the existence of the state of Israel." Those who refused this statement would not be eligible for naturalization.
If it's found that this declaration doesn't reflect the naturalized person's true beliefs and amounts to mere lip service, it's at the discretion of the citizenship authorities to investigate the feasibility of revoking their citizenship. The Interior Ministry made this statement during their response to a query on Friday.
