The German passport is one of the most attractive in the world, more than 170 countries can travel to without a visa, nevertheless, the naturalisation rate in Germany is comparatively low: Only a fraction of those that can, theoretically, become established, do this as well. For all of the countries of Origin for the “exhausted naturalisation potential” 2019 stood at 2.5 per cent, in the case of Turkish nationals, by far the largest group of foreigners in Germany, only 1.2 per cent. What is the reason?

Julian Staib

Political correspondent for Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate and the Saarland with its headquarters in Wiesbaden.

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Hardly to bureaucratic obstacles, but mainly by the handling of the previous citizenship, were in response to the results of a on Tuesday in Mainz, Germany, presented the study to summarize. On behalf of the Rhineland-Palatinate Ministry of integrations was behavior from the beginning of 2019 to March 2020, both the Naturalisation as well as the procedures examined. Were interviewed Naturalized citizens, those in process and those that had decided against it.

according to The study, the respondents feel that the authorities are well informed and welcomed, they also consider the bureaucratic hurdles to be far lower than feared. Furthermore, it shows that the Attempts of municipalities, provide for more naturalisations to – by means of Writing, or personal inquiries, bring something. “Naturalisation is easier than you think”, with this Slogan, you could advertise, said Claudia D. Lankhorst from the Institute for socio-pedagogical research Mainz at the presentation of the study.

All of the “rights of Germans” want to 65 percent have

your information according to which naturalisation is for many respondents a “matter of the heart”, is crucial for practical motives, however. So the origin has the greatest influence on the decision, what possible Benefits such as the freedom to travel is made. A majority of the respondents were naturalized, said, the arguments that you wanted “all the rights of a German” (65 percent approval), as well as “freedom to travel in many countries” (70 percent), had been very important. Around 40 per cent of those who decided against naturalization agreed with the statement that the residence was secure “anyway”. Nearly 50 percent said they would want to keep your previous citizenship.