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Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Germany granted citizenship to a record number of people in 2024, led by Syrians
BERLIN (Reuters) -Germany granted citizenship to a record 291,955 people last year, a 46% increase from 2023, with Syrians making up the largest group, according to data released by the Federal Statistics Office on Tuesday. Reforms in the citizenship law contributed to the jump, the office said. Last June Germany reduced its residency requirement for naturalization from eight years to five and even three in special cases. Many Syrians who arrived as refugees during 2015 and 2016 when former Chancellor Angela Merkel opened Germany's borders to hundreds of thousands fleeing war and persecution in the Middle East became eligible for naturalization during 2024. As a result, they made up the largest group of new citizens, accounting for 28% of all naturalisations, or 83,150 people, a 10.1% increase. They were followed by Turks, Iraqis, Russians, and Afghans, who represented 8%, 5%, 4%, and 3% of the total, respectively. Russians saw the largest percentage increase in naturalisations, with the number rising to 12,980 in 2024 from 1,995 the previous year. The number of Turks taking German citizenship more than doubled to 22,525. The new citizenship law also allows individuals to retain their original citizenship while acquiring German nationality, enabling tens of thousands of Turkish citizens — many of whom, or whose ancestors, came to Germany as guest workers in the 1960s and 1970s — to become naturalized. However, Germany's new coalition government of the conservatives and Social Democrats plans to roll back some of these measures and reinstate a minimum waiting period of five years for citizenship. The conservatives have said citizenship should come at the end of a period of integration, not "jump-start" it, and fear shorter wait times to become a German citizen may drive increased migration and public resentment.
Straits Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Germany granted citizenship to a record number of people in 2024, led by Syrians
FILE PHOTO: People walk at the promenade by the river Rhine with the skyline in the background including the Rheinturm in Duesseldorf, Germany, May 13, 2024. Picture taken with long exposure. REUTERS/Jana Rodenbusch/ File Photo BERLIN - Germany granted citizenship to a record 291,955 people last year, a 46% increase from 2023, with Syrians making up the largest group, according to data released by the Federal Statistics Office on Tuesday. Reforms in the citizenship law contributed to the jump, the office said. Last June Germany reduced its residency requirement for naturalization from eight years to five and even three in special cases. Many Syrians who arrived as refugees during 2015 and 2016 when former Chancellor Angela Merkel opened Germany's borders to hundreds of thousands fleeing war and persecution in the Middle East became eligible for naturalization during 2024. As a result, they made up the largest group of new citizens, accounting for 28% of all naturalisations, or 83,150 people, a 10.1% increase. They were followed by Turks, Iraqis, Russians, and Afghans, who represented 8%, 5%, 4%, and 3% of the total, respectively. Russians saw the largest percentage increase in naturalisations, with the number rising to 12,980 in 2024 from 1,995 the previous year. The number of Turks taking German citizenship more than doubled to 22,525. The new citizenship law also allows individuals to retain their original citizenship while acquiring German nationality, enabling tens of thousands of Turkish citizens — many of whom, or whose ancestors, came to Germany as guest workers in the 1960s and 1970s — to become naturalized. However, Germany's new coalition government of the conservatives and Social Democrats plans to roll back some of these measures and reinstate a minimum waiting period of five years for citizenship. The conservatives have said citizenship should come at the end of a period of integration, not "jump-start" it, and fear shorter wait times to become a German citizen may drive increased migration and public resentment. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
The Star
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Star
Germany granted citizenship to a record number of people in 2024, led by Syrians
FILE PHOTO: People walk at the promenade by the river Rhine with the skyline in the background including the Rheinturm in Duesseldorf, Germany, May 13, 2024. Picture taken with long exposure. REUTERS/Jana Rodenbusch/ File Photo BERLIN (Reuters) -Germany granted citizenship to a record 291,955 people last year, a 46% increase from 2023, with Syrians making up the largest group, according to data released by the Federal Statistics Office on Tuesday. Reforms in the citizenship law contributed to the jump, the office said. Last June Germany reduced its residency requirement for naturalization from eight years to five and even three in special cases. Many Syrians who arrived as refugees during 2015 and 2016 when former Chancellor Angela Merkel opened Germany's borders to hundreds of thousands fleeing war and persecution in the Middle East became eligible for naturalization during 2024. As a result, they made up the largest group of new citizens, accounting for 28% of all naturalisations, or 83,150 people, a 10.1% increase. They were followed by Turks, Iraqis, Russians, and Afghans, who represented 8%, 5%, 4%, and 3% of the total, respectively. Russians saw the largest percentage increase in naturalisations, with the number rising to 12,980 in 2024 from 1,995 the previous year. The number of Turks taking German citizenship more than doubled to 22,525. The new citizenship law also allows individuals to retain their original citizenship while acquiring German nationality, enabling tens of thousands of Turkish citizens — many of whom, or whose ancestors, came to Germany as guest workers in the 1960s and 1970s — to become naturalized. However, Germany's new coalition government of the conservatives and Social Democrats plans to roll back some of these measures and reinstate a minimum waiting period of five years for citizenship. The conservatives have said citizenship should come at the end of a period of integration, not "jump-start" it, and fear shorter wait times to become a German citizen may drive increased migration and public resentment. (Reporting by Riham Alkousaa and Rene Wagner; Editing by Alexandra Hudson)
Reuters
03-06-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Swiss inflation turns negative for first time since COVID pandemic
ZURICH, June 3 (Reuters) - Swiss inflation turned negative in May, marking the first decline in consumer prices for more than four years and adding pressure on the Swiss National Bank to cut its interest rate steeply later this month. Consumer prices fell by 0.1% in May compared with a year earlier, according to data from the Federal Statistics Office on Tuesday, the lowest reading since March 2021 when the Swiss economy was hit by the COVID-19 crisis. An interest rate cut by the SNB at its next meeting on June 19 is seen as a certainty by the market, which gives a 69% probability the central bank will cut rates from 0.25% at present to 0%. Markets now give a 31% probability the SNB will cut its key interest rate to -0.25%, returning Switzerland to an era of negative interest rates which were in place from late 2014 to 2022. The Swiss National Bank declined to comment on Tuesday.
Time of India
23-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
German GDP sees 0.4% growth in the first quarter of 2025
German GDP sees 0.4% growth in the first quarter of 2025 Germany's battling economy has seen better than expected growth in the first quarter of 2025 with the Federal Statistics Office (Destatis) reporting an improvement of 0.4% when compared to the the last quarter of 2024. It is twice the initial growth forecast of 0.2% and comes off the back of rising exports and stronger consumer spending during the period in question. Ruth Brand, president of Destatis, pointed to "surprisingly good economic development in March" as a key driver behind the higher growth figures. Brand said said there was better than expected performance in production in the manufacturing sector and exports, especially of cars and pharmaceuticals. That all came as producers tried to get on the frontfoot ahead of the Trump administration imposed sweeping tariffs earlier in April. Thursday saw Germany's new Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil highlight how the new coalition government is looking to revive the country's economy.
