Wednesday, July 23
Government minister accuses Berlin of being lax with German passports
For years, prospective German citizens in Berlin found themselves at a loss. Naturalisation appointments were nearly impossible to secure, a huge backlog of cases piled up, and talk of “digitalisation” sounded like the ravings of a cult predicting the return of the messiah – it never arrived. But in 2023, a new system finally brought movement to the process. The Landesamt für Einbürgerung (LEA), Berlin’s State Office for Naturalisation, began processing applications at scale. This year, the bureau is set to decide on over 40,000 applications for German citizenship.
Now, however, the right wing has found something to criticise.
The background to this controversy is the hardening stance on migration led by Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU), who infamously sought to cooperate with the far-right AfD to pass harsh immigration restrictions – more border controls, more deportations, and fewer accepted asylum claims. Now, the federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CDU) is accusing Berlin of handing out passports on the cheap and inflating naturalisation targets. They take particular issue with the digitalised process, which allows applicants to complete most of the procedure online, only visiting the office at the end to collect their certificate.
So, is there any truth to their claims?
Not really. As anyone following the issue knows, Berlin had accumulated an enormous backlog. Before 2023, the decentralised system left district offices to handle cases individually, resulting in delays stretching over years. Berlin could process only around 9,000 naturalisations annually. At the start of 2024, the LEA had 40,000 pending cases – some over a decade old.
Last year, the office processed 21,802 cases. In the first half of 2025, they have already completed another 20,000. They are on track to catch up. It is precisely at this moment – when the system begins to function – that CDU voices have accused Berlin of acting irresponsibly. The impression this gives is unmistakable: some would rather see the process remain broken, chaotic and unjust.
To become a naturalised German citizen, the requirements are clear: five years of legal residence in Germany, a clean criminal record, a private residence, financial self-sufficiency without reliance on welfare, tax contributions, and passing both a language test and a naturalisation test. Applicants must also submit a “declaration of loyalty”, affirming their support for constitutional principles and rejection of terrorism, as well as a commitment to Germany’s historical responsibility for the Nazi regime- including the protection of Jewish life and the renunciation of wars of aggression.
Just days ago, the state of Brandenburg added a new condition to its naturalisation process: applicants must affirm recognition of Israel’s right to exist. While this is not yet required in Berlin, Mayor Kai Wegner (CDU) has said he is considering introducing a similar clause.
