Descendants of Nazi victims find it easier to obtain German citizenship
As reported by "Russkaya Germaniya", the corresponding decrees of the federal government came into force on Friday, August 30.
It is worth noting that Germany already had rules allowing descendants of persecuted Jews to obtain citizenship. However, previously applicants repeatedly complained about bureaucracy and the complexity of the existing naturalization procedure in Germany. Those dissatisfied with the difficulties on the path to obtaining German citizenship criticized the high, in their view, likelihood of rejection and emphasized that the corresponding right to citizenship was guaranteed to them by German legislation.
Article 116 (2) of the Basic Law of Germany states that former citizens of the country who were deprived of citizenship between 1933 and 1945 for political, racial, or religious reasons, as well as their descendants, can be reinstated in their citizenship. The two new decrees that have come into force significantly simplify the procedure and close several gaps in the legislation.
First of all, under the new rules, relatives of people who were forced to leave the country even before the start of persecution on ethnic grounds will be able to obtain citizenship without unnecessary complications. That is, even before their citizenship was revoked. Now they can finally officially regain the citizenship lost by their ancestors.
In addition, previously one of the common reasons for refusing to restore German citizenship was the fact that applicants were born to a mother of German origin and a father from another country. This is because until 1953, German citizenship could only be passed down through the paternal line. Thanks to the new law, this barrier has been removed, and those who previously received a refusal can now apply for restoration of lost citizenship.
"Germany must bear its historical responsibility towards the victims. No one should be excluded because the injustice of the Nazi era is too far in time," commented Interior Minister Horst Seehofer on the decrees. The politician is convinced that thanks to the innovation, many of those who previously faced rejection from the migration authority will now be able to obtain long-awaited citizenship.
The ministry also noted that representatives of the second, third, fourth, and in some cases fifth generations will be able to apply under the new rules.
It is worth noting that one of the reasons that prompted the federal government to seriously revise the procedure for restoring German citizenship was a significant increase in the number of applications. At the same time, the number of applications from British subjects whose ancestors were persecuted by the Nazis has increased most sharply in recent times.
Back in 2015, the number of applicants from England was only 43 people, while in 2018, 1,506 applications were submitted from residents of the kingdom. In many cases, the prospect of Britain's exit from the European Union prompted Britons to consider obtaining German citizenship.