What characterises the current debate?
Exclusion as the main reason for refusing dual citizenship
For practical reasons or reasons of identity, the obligation to renounce their former citizenship may deter immigrants from applying for naturalisation in spite of their already being integrated into Germany. [4] In fact, any ban on multiple citizenship leads to the non-naturalisation of a large group of immigrants and thus to their exclusion from participatory rights in their country of permanent residence.
Details of naturalisations for different groups of immigrants | ||||||
Former citizenship | Number of natural- isations | Proportion of the total natural- isations | Average quota of natural- isations [6] | Natural- isations with dual citizen- ship | Average age at natural- isation | Average duration of residence at natural- isation |
% | in years | |||||
Annual Average 2003-2007 | Annual Average 2005-2007 | |||||
Asia | 31.914 | 26,3 | 3,8 | 58,8 | 29,6 | 11,0 |
EU-Member States [7] | 12.334 | 9,7 | 0,6 | 86,2 | 36,2 | 18,4 |
Africa | 10.926 | 8,8 | 3,9 | 59,7 | 31,0 | 11,0 |
Turkey | 39.124 | 31,8 | 2,2 | 15,6 | 26,5 | 20,1 |
Former Soviet Union | 13.357 | 11,1 | 2,7 | 56,5 | 35,8 | 9,2 |
Russian Federation | 4.190 | 3,5 | 2,3 | 66,0 | 36,7 | 9,6 |
Ukraine | 4.017 | 3,3 | 3,1 | 80,5 | 37,5 | 9,9 |
Former Yugoslavia | 12.868 | 11,0 | 1,6 | 52,8 | 28,7 | 16,1 |
Poland | 5.954 | 5,1 | 3,8 | 73,2 | 35,2 | 14,3 |
Iran | 5.413 | 4,3 | 8,4 | 99,7 | 36,0 | 15,3 |
Morocco | 3.731 | 3,0 | 5,1 | 99,9 | 28,5 | 15,0 |
Afghanistan | 3.610 | 2,9 | 6,4 | 99,6 | 26,2 | 11,6 |
Iraq | 3.325 | 2,9 | 4,3 | 30,3 | 25,4 | 8,8 |
All countries | 125.544 | 100,0 | 1,8 | 48,3 | 30,5 | 15,1 |
Source: Naturalisations Statistics, Central Register of Foreigners, Federal Statistical Office |