Germany to restrict family reunions, toughen citizenship rules

BERLIN: The German government on Wednesday agreed plans to restrict family reunions for some migrants and toughen rules for obtaining citizenship.

A clampdown on immigration was a key promise of new conservative Chancellor Friedrich Merz in the campaign for February´s general election, and his government swiftly moved to impose controls at Germany´s borders after taking office earlier this month.

Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt told reporters on Wednesday that the new measures marked a “decisive day” for the reduction of irregular migration.

The suspension of family reunions will last for two years and affect people who have “subsidiary protection”, not full refugee status.

Dobrindt said the move would help “take pressure off” local councils tasked with providing for and integrating new arrivals. He recalled that a similar measure was put in place between 2016 and 2018 in the wake of the European migration crisis.

Dobrindt also announced the scrapping of a reform implemented by the previous centre-left government of chancellor Olaf Scholz under which some immigrants could apply for citizenship after three years of residency if they could prove they had had “particular success in integration”.

The minimum residency requirement will now be brought back up to five years.

According to Dobrindt, the new measures will help reduce “pull factors” for migrants who may otherwise attempt to enter Germany via irregular means.

The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) has long railed against immigration, with leading figures in the party demanding mass deportations of foreigners.