Germany rescinds fast-track citizenship

9/10/2025 7:24

Germany's parliament on Wednesday rescinded a fast-track citizenship programme, reflecting the rapidly shifting mood on migration in Europe's labour-hungry economic powerhouse.



Chancellor Friedrich Merz's conservatives pledged in this year's election campaign to rescind the legislation, which let the "exceptionally well integrated" gain citizenship in three years instead of five.



"A German passport must come as recognition of a successful integration process and not act as an incentive for illegal immigration," Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt told parliament.



The rest of the new citizenship law, a signature achievement of previous Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democrat-liberal-Green government, will remain intact despite conservative pledges at the time to undo innovations such as dual citizenship and the cut in the waiting period from eight years to five.