German deputies adopted a law on Friday which softens the conditions for obtaining nationality and extends the possibilities of dual nationality in particular to reduce the shortage of labor from which the first European economy suffers.
It will now be possible to request German nationality after five years of residence in the country, instead of eight currently, under this text carried by the government of Chancellor Olaf Scholz and validated by the Bundestag, the lower room of Parliament.
In his weekly podcast, the social democratic leader welcomed the adoption of this law: “You are part of Germany,” he said, speaking “to all those who live and work In the country for decades.
Double nationality expanded
The law will also open up the possibility for more people to have dual nationality, an opportunity for the broad Turkish community in Germany, which has some 1.5 million nationals.
“In the United States, it is completely normal to say that we are” German-American “(…) I believe that this feeling of being German and Italian or German and Turkish, it corresponds to reality Of many of our fellow citizens in this country, ”said Olaf Scholz. “Recognizing this is a question of respect,” he said.
Double nationality has so far been reserved for citizens of the European Union and Switzerland.
Economic necessity
“Our reform is decisive for the German economic place,” said the Minister of the Interior, the Social Democrat Nancy Faeser, after the adoption of the Bundestag.
“We are at the heart of a global competition to attract the best brains. We have an urgent need for skilled labor in many sectors of our economy, “she added.
With nearly 82 million inhabitants, Germany is faced with an aging demography that accentuates the problems of labor shortage.
In an interview with the weekly Der Spiegel, posted on Friday, the German Minister of Labor, Hubertus Heil, said that he significantly expanded the legal possibilities to accommodate workers from Asia.
“I would like us to attract thinking and helpful heads, including Vietnam and Thailand,” he said. The nursing staff from these countries are particularly popular.
Hubertus Heil is due to accompany the German president next week, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Thailand and Vietnam. In this country, it is notably provided for the signing of an agreement on the reception of labor in Germany.
This article is originally published on tdg.ch
