Around two to three per cent of foreigners who have lived in Germany for at least ten years become German citizens every year, research from the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees has revealed.
According to the study, despite the benefits associated with German citizenship, such as political participation, only a small percentage of foreigners have pursued naturalisation in the past.
However, the trend is expected to undergo significant changes, given the increasing length of stay of refugees in the country.
The study unveils a notable shift in the attitudes of refugees towards naturalisation, emphasising that nine out of ten foreigners in 2021 expressed their openness to becoming German citizens in the future.
This shift is attributed to the fact that individuals seeking protection, in contrast to those who arrive in Germany for work purposes, tend to identify themselves less strongly with their country of origin due to their refugee background.
Commenting on the matter, one of the authors of the study, Dr. Kerstin Tanis, said that a large number of refugees have already considered becoming German citizens. The same stressed that many of them gather information on naturalisation through the internet and friends.
Nine out of ten refugees in 2021 could imagine becoming naturalised in the future. The majority of refugees have already found out about naturalization, most of them via the Internet and friends.
According to the data provided by the study, even though 64 per cent of refugees were informed about the naturalisation process in 2021, only a small proportion of them meet all the requirements.
In order to be eligible for German citizenship, foreigners must possess the appropriate residence permit, prove that they have been residing legally in Germany for at least eight years, be able to support themselves and have sufficient command of the German language.
However, in 2021, only around 16 per cent of refugees, or 103,000 people nationwide, were able to fulfil the four naturalisation requirements.
Citizens of Syria, those with higher education, as well as refugees who are more integrated into the society, are more likely to meet the requirements.
On the other hand, the study reveals that women, older people, and those with a lower level of education, in particular, have a lower naturalisation potential because they are less likely to fulfil all four naturalisation requirements.
