Chancellor Scholz encourages foreigners to apply for German citizenship

Last month, ministers in Germany's federal cabinet approved a new bill that will overhaul the country's citizenship law, marking a significant milestone in one of the government's key reform initiatives.

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The planned reforms include cutting the residence requirement for citizenship from eight years to five and allowing dual citizenship. 

The draft law, which is due to be voted on in the German parliament this month, also sets out easier language requirements for over-67s, quicker routes to citizenship for the children of migrants and a fast-track citizenship option requiring only three years for those who are particularly well integrated and with at least C1 language skills. 

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This week, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz voiced his explicit approval of the plans in a podcast, saying that he wants more foreigners in the country to apply for German citizenship.

"I would like to encourage everyone who is currently here, if they do not have German citizenship, to obtain it if the prerequisites are met," said the SPD politician in the WDR Cosmo podcast.

The podcast show, called "Machiavelli - Rap und Politik" (rap and politics) features politicians sitting down with rap stars to discuss current affairs with journalists Vassili Golod and Jan Kawelke. The German Chancellor appeared in the podcast alongside rapper RIN.

In the course of the discussions, Scholz said that Germany is strongly influenced by immigrants, with approximately one in four having an immigration background.

"Therefore, we also need those who live here, work here, earn money here, and whose children attend school here to have a say because they have the citizenship of our country and become Germans," he said.

The Chancellor also stated that the planned reform of citizenship law should pass through the Bundestag and Bundesrat later this year and, as a result, well-integrated immigrants and their children should be able to obtain German citizenship more quickly.