Germany Allows Dual Citizenship for Kids BUT With a Caveat

Well, after the elections last year, it took months before the CDU/CSU could finally get a party willing to partner with them and form a new government, eventually SPD agreed but they also had a bag full of demands.

The CDU/CSU gave in to most of SPD’s demands, they signed the agreement and formed the government. One of the main stipulations from SPD was dual citizenship, CDU/CSU weren’t interested in that, but they had to form the government.

When they signed the coalition agreement, the CDU/CSU decided to compromise and only allow children born to foreigners to keep their dual citizenship. The idea was to abolish the Optionszwang law, which stipulates that children born to foreigners have to decide between their 18th and 23rd birthday between keeping their German citizenship over their foreign citizenship. Those that don’t make a decision by their 23rd birthday end up having their German citizenship withdrawn.

Now the CDU/CSU is back at it and they are rethinking the “blank cheque” idea of allowing ALL children born to foreign parents in Germany keeping both citizenships.

The new agreement that comes into effect on 13th November 2014 stipulates that: Children born to foreign parents who have taken up German citizenship or have lived in Germany legally for over 8years, may take up German citizenship and that of their parent(s)’ country of origin for life ONLY IF they can prove that by their 23rd birthday, they:

  • lived in Germany for at least 8 years
  • went to a school in Germany for at least 6 years or
  • got at least one educational certificate in Germany

This means that children who were born in Germany but ended up living abroad for one reason or another have to decide which citizenship to keep.

In an article in the Süddeutsche Zeitung, Thorsten Denkler wrote:

Es ist paradox: Einerseits wird auf jedem Integrationsgipfel der Bundesregierung die Willkommenskultur gepredigt. Kanzlerin Angela Merkel wirbt, wo sie kann, um Zuwanderung. Aber wenn es um die deutsche Staatsangehörigkeit geht, dann wird so getan, als gehe es um etwas Heiliges, etwas wirklich ganz, ganz Besonderes eben. So kostbar, dass sie nicht jedem ohne weiteres gegeben werden darf, selbst in Deutschland geborenen Kindern ausländischer Eltern nicht.

Das Abendland wird nicht untergehen

Vielleicht sollten wir lernen, etwas entspannter mit der Staatsangehörigkeit umzugehen. Ein Pass ist kein Heiligtum. Die Staatsangehörigkeit regelt Rechte und Pflichten eines Staatsangehörigen. Sie sollte befreit werden von nationalem Dünkel.

Jetzt aber soll weiter unterschieden werden zwischen guten Deutschen und Deutschen auf Bewährung. Damit sollte endlich Schluss sein. Wer hier geboren ist oder Deutscher werden will, weil er schon lange hier lebt und brav seine Steuern zahlt, der soll Deutscher sein können. Und wenn er seinen alten Pass aus welchen Gründen auch immer dafür nicht abgeben will – sei es drum. Das Abendland wird deshalb sicher nicht untergehen.

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