| |
|
|
|
|
|
||
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||
|
|||||
|
|||||
|
More People Became German Citizens in 2006
The number of people who became naturalized German citizens jumped in 2006 for the first time in several years. The Federal Statistical Office is reporting that some 124,830 people were naturalized in Germany in 2006. That’s about 7,590 or 6.5 percent more than in the previous year. The highest number of people, almost 186,700, became naturalized in 2000, the same year Germany’s new citizenship law went into effect, easing requirements for foreign-born residents to become citizens. Since then, the number has decreased in each subsequent year, until 2006. As in previous years, people originally from Turkey made up the largest group of new naturalized citizens, 33,478, or 26.8 percent, in 2006. The group with the highest increase in the number of new naturalized citizens was people from Israel. The number of people from Israel who became German citizens in 2006 rose 50 percent over the previous year to 4,313. Also increasing sharply in 2006 was the number of people from Serbia, Montenegro as well as from the former Serbia and Montenegro who became German citizens. That number increased 43 percent over the previous year to 12,611. Nationality Act Two-thirds of the people who became citizens in 2006 were naturalized on the basis of the Nationality Act that went into effect in 2000. Under this act, to be eligible for naturalization, a person has to have lived legally in Germany for at least eight years and possess the appropriate residence permit. Foreigners who have successfully completed an integration course are eligible for naturalization after seven years. Additionally, spouses and minor children of people who are eligible can also apply for citizenship at the same time, even if they do not meet the residency requirement. July 23, 2007 Links
|
|
 Culture & Life   Life
 Newsletters
 Printer-Friendly
Page
Email This Article |
||
|
|||||
|
|||||
