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Local Germany
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Local Germany
Inside Germany: Confusion surrounds end of 'turbo' citizenship and all the June changes
Inside Germany is our weekly look at some of the news, talking points and gossip in Germany that you might've missed. It's published each Saturday and members can receive it directly to their inbox by going to their newsletter preferences or adding their email to the sign-up box in this article. End of the three year fast-track path to citizenship Germany's new black-red government had promised to bring changes to the country's immigration policies, and they have wasted very little time in getting to the point. Just over three weeks have passed since the conservative Christian Union (CDU/CSU) and centre-left Social Democrat parties have stepped into their new leading roles in the federal government and already the cabinet has passed two bills set to tighten the country's immigration policies. The bills, which still need to be passed by the Bundestag before becoming law, were put forward by Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU), who had previously pledged to bring forth a "turnaround" in migration. One of the bills would suspend family reunification for migrants with subsidiary protection status (essentially refugees that were not granted asylum but are lawfully allowed to remain in Germany). The other would end the three-year fast-track to German citizenship that was introduced last year as part of the sweeping reform of Germany's naturalisation rules. The good news is that, despite pledges we'd previously heard from conservative leaders, Germany's new federal government wont focus its efforts on scrapping the rest of the naturalisation reforms that were enacted nearly one year ago (on June 27th). So German dual-citizenship will remain an option for non-EU nationals, and the residency requirement will remain at five years as opposed to the previous eight. A person holds a German and British passport. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Britta Pedersen The bad news is that any foreign residents who might have qualified as "highly integrated" , and who had been looking forward to naturalising after just three years in the country will now have to wait at least two more, like the rest of us. As of yet it's unclear how the rule change would affect anyone who is waiting for decision on their pending fast-track citizenship application. But as we wrote on Monday , one migration lawyer in Germany has suggested that applicants in this position might considering bringing forward an Untätigkeitsklage (a legal challenge against the failure to act), as that could force the relevant officials to make a decision on your application before the rule change is established as law. Advertisement For now, it's unclear exactly how many people have applied for citizenship via the fast-track. Germany's Statistical Office keeps count of how many people naturalise each year, but when The Local reached out for clarification they said they don't differentiate between "highly integrated" or standard naturalisations. Have you applied for citizenship through either track, or plan to do so soon? We'd love to hear about your experience in our latest survey. Any comments your willing to share may help us as we prepare future articles on the topic. Where is this? Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Sebastian Willnow Advertisement Opencast mining is a big operation, and it's left its mark on various German landscapes, wherever lignite coal or others rocks and minerals have been extracted. This old mining town saw the closure of it's large mine in 1991, but the large excavator machines you can see in the background of the shot above were left on site, and they have been effectively repurposed as monuments that can be observed, and even climbed on, in a large outdoor museum. But the space does not only serve as a museum, depicted above, members of a Christian parish from the nearby village of Gräfenhainichen have gathered for a special church service on Ascension Day (or Christi Himmelfahrt ) , which was observed on Thursday this week. The photo was taken at Ferropolis, which is set in the retired open-cast mine Golpa Nord at Gremminer See. The site is about two hours southwest of Berlin by car, or about one hour north of Leipzig. Advertisement Coming changes With the sky staying light well into the evening -- and then brightening again far too early in the morning -- it's clear that Summer is just around around the corner. This weekend brings the end of May and the start of June, and also a number of interesting changes for those of us living Germany. The first notable change starts from the coming Sunday (June 1st) when maternity leave, or Mutterschutz, is to also apply to women who lose a pregnancy due to miscarriage (from the 13th week). Another notable change comes just a few days later on June 6th when rules around changing electricity providers will change. Our newest contributor, Tom Pugh unpacked what that change means for consumers this week. READ ALSO: Seven unmissable events happening around Germany in June 2025 The other June update to be aware of is that Whit Monday, on the 9th, will bring yet another three-day weekend to most regular workers. You'll want to make any travel plans now if you're going too.
Irish Independent
2 days ago
- Politics
- Irish Independent
Future of Wicklow rivers in jeopardy
The draft River Basin Management Plan aims to set out the measures that are necessary to protect and restore water quality in Ireland. Under the draft River Basin Management Plan, protections for 456 water bodies nationwide are at risk of being diluted by being classified as 'highly modified'. If this goes ahead, it will mean that these water ways will no longer be subject to water quality standards. In Wicklow, rivers like the Vartry and Dargle, both currently rated as having 'good' ecological status, could face increased pollution and degradation if these changes are introduced. Social Democrat TD Jennifer Whitmore said: 'This is yet another hit to our natural environment. We've already seen consistent degradation of our rivers and government inaction on it. Now, they're trying to quietly lower the standards for water quality across the country, not because it's the right thing to do, but because they're failing to meet the standards we already have. Rather than trying to address the problems head on, it feels like government are throwing in the towel on our rivers.' Deputy Whitemore gained two diplomas at the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology and later graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Biological Science and Ecology from the University of Ulster. During the ten years she resided in Australia, she studied Environmental Law at the University of Sydney. She has particular concerns over the potential impact on the Vartry and Dargle rivers. 'The Vartry and Dargle are vital arteries in Wicklow's ecosystem,' she said. 'They support biodiversity, provide clean water, and are central to our tourism and recreation. Weakening protections now will only lead to long-term damage that will be far more costly to fix. We've seen what happens when we don't take water quality seriously. Lady's Island Lake in Wexford is a cautionary tale, where pollution and mismanagement have led to serious ecological decline. We cannot let that happen here in Wicklow. 'The government's approach is not just short-sighted, but dangerous. This is about more than just water. It's about our health, our environment, and our future. Every time the government chips away at environmental protections, they're making it harder for us to meet our climate and biodiversity goals.' She is calling on the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to immediately halt any plans to lower water quality standards and instead invest in proper monitoring, wastewater treatment, and nature-based solutions to restore and protect Ireland's rivers and lakes. 'We should be strengthening protections, not weakening them. We should be restoring our rivers, not polluting them. And we should be listening to communities who care deeply about their local environment, not sidelining them,' added Deputy Whitmore. 'The people of Wicklow want clean rivers, healthy ecosystems, and a government that takes its environmental responsibilities seriously. It's time for the government to stop making excuses and start protecting what matters.'
Miami Herald
3 days ago
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Trump's Greenland Bid Poses Global Dangers, Says the Woman Facing Him Down
U.S. President Donald Trump's push to prise Greenland away from Denmark poses global dangers as growing security challenges imperil the world order, Denmark's prime minister told Newsweek. Leader of one of Europe's smaller countries, Mette Frederiksen has been thrust into an unexpected confrontation with the world's most powerful president over the giant Arctic island, which she says must decide its own fate. Earlier this month, Trump said he would not rule out the use of force to acquire Greenland on the grounds it is critical for U.S. and world security. "I have tried to de-escalate the situation, because in this world, with a very aggressive Russia, with a closer cooperation between Iran, North Korea and Russia, helped by China, I will do what I can to ensure that nothing goes wrong between allies and good friends and partners. But at the same time, we have to stick to the most important values and principles," Frederiksen said in an exclusive interview at her office in Copenhagen's Christiansborg Palace. Greenland is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, a member of NATO. While opinion polls in January showed the vast majority of Greenlanders sought independence from Denmark, even more were opposed to it joining the United States. "I'm pretty sure that there is a big interest in the U.S., especially from the president, when it comes to Greenland. I'm also listening when officials and representatives from the government are saying that, 'of course, we will not do anything by force,'" she said. "We have to believe that. Because a situation where an ally attacks another ally would be very, very wrong, and it will challenge not only the relationship to the Kingdom of Denmark, but the transatlantic relationship and that would be, I think, very dangerous for all of us." Denmark was very ready to help step up security for Greenland and the Arctic in conjunction with NATO allies, she said, but could not accept the principle of big states taking over other parts of the world or another country's territory. "It's not only a question about Denmark and Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark. We cannot agree with U.S. on this point, because then we will undermine the world order that we have built up since the Second World War." The tussle over Greenland came as a shock to Frederiksen, a 47-year-old Social Democrat who has been prime minister since 2019 and grew up in an era of gratitude to the United States for both the help it gave Europe in World War II and the role it had played in the NATO security alliance. Frederiksen chose her words carefully. She paused occasionally to pick from the carrot and cucumber sticks placed alongside the coffee and tea on the meeting room table as healthy snacks. "When you are a true believer in the transatlantic alliance, and by the way, always have been a very good ally to the U.S., it has been quite a surprise to listen to the words coming from the U.S.," she said. The tariffs imposed by Trump on Europe to try to redress trade imbalances have been another source of friction. As a member of the European Union, Denmark does not hold separate trade negotiations with the United States. "I think a trade war will be a problem, not only for Europe, but for everybody, and therefore everything we're doing is to avoid it," Frederiksen said. "What I'm trying to say to our American friends and colleagues is that there are so many challenges globally. At the moment, things are moving in the wrong direction." Now it was time to rearm Europe, Frederiksen said: not because the United States could not be trusted, but because Europe had been failing to do enough to defend itself—a theme echoed by officials in the Trump administration who say Europe funded its welfare states as U.S. taxpayers paid for its security umbrella. "It has been a mistake that after the end of the Cold War that we reduced our military budgets in a big part of Europe. It was a mistake, and maybe one of the most important things right now is to agree that it will never happen again," she said. "We have to be able to defend ourselves, to deter Russia, and I don't think it's fair to ask somebody else to come and defend you if you're not willing to do it yourself." Relative to its economic might, Denmark has been one of the biggest financial supporters of Ukraine since the Russian invasion in 2022. Frederiksen said it would be "a disaster" if Russia won the war. If European countries thought the strains on the relationship with the United States should push them toward China, it would be the "wrong answer," she said. "The answer is building a strong Europe and a strong Europe that is open minded and able to work, of course, globally, with different partners, including China," she said. "To make a strategic choice now, less U.S., more China will be, I think, not the right way forward." One area on which Frederiksen and Trump may share common ground is immigration. Denmark adopted one of the toughest asylum policies in Europe with broad political support in the face of surging arrivals of people from the Middle East and Africa, some with radical Islamist ideologies. While it curbed inward immigration, Denmark now faces the challenge of deporting migrants who have committed crimes. In doing so, it has come against rulings from the European Court of Human Rights based on the European Convention on Human Rights. "The court has, of course, the right to be a court, but not to be an activist or not to take decisions. And I think the balance has tipped so we need to be in political and therefore democratic control with the legislation," she said. "Europe is not able to welcome everybody, and maybe most important now, we have to be sure that we can get rid of people again if they don't behave well. It's not a human right to enter Denmark and do a rape and stay." Alongside her Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni, Frederiksen is now spearheading a push to get the court to make it easier to deport foreign criminals. Given the multiple global security challenges, Frederiksen voiced concern that climate change could end up being sidelined. Denmark has become a leader in green energy—particularly from the winds that all too often bluster the flat land pinned between the North Sea and the Baltic. Trump, meanwhile, has voiced skepticism over climate change and declared a national energy emergency in order to ramp up production of coal, oil and gas, which emit the carbon dioxide that many scientists say is causing global temperatures to rise. "I have this feeling that climate change, the green transition renewables, you know, there's not the focus that just was there a few years ago," she said. "But I really think we have to keep our ambitions of the green transition very, very high." Read the full interview in the June 20-27 issue of Newsweek, out on June 13 and online from June 11. Update 5/28/25, 7 a.m. ET: The headline was changed. Related Articles Nearly Half of Americans Say Trump Not Being Transparent About HealthIsrael Plans Iran Attack Even if Trump Reaches Nuclear Deal: ReportZelensky Makes Trump, Putin ProposalSavannah Chrisley Reacts to Donald Trump Pardoning Parents 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
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First Post
3 days ago
- Politics
- First Post
Germany: Merz restricts family reunification for migrants, delays citizenship access
Germany's government, led by Chancellor Merz, has approved measures to restrict family reunification for migrants and to delay access to citizenship. read more The German government has approved new measures to tighten restrictions on family reunification for migrants and to postpone their eligibility for citizenship. (Photo; Reuters) Germany's government approved measures to restrict family reunification for migrants and delay citizenship access on Wednesday, forging ahead with a major shift in migration policy under conservative Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The cabinet agreed to a two-year suspension of the right for migrants who do not qualify for full refugee status, so called 'subsidiary protection' holders, to bring their children and spouses to Germany. Around 380,000 people, mainly Syrians, hold this status. Subsidiary protection previously allowed 12,000 family members to join their relatives in Germany annually. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD According to the draft law, this temporary suspension aims 'to relieve pressure on Germany's reception and integration systems' and provides an 'appropriate means for quickly relieving burden on municipalities'. The government also eliminated the 'fast-track' naturalization option after three years of residency, extending the minimum waiting period for citizenship to five years. This decision overturns a regulation introduced six months ago by the three-party coalition under Social Democrat Olaf Scholz. Last year, Germany saw around 200,000 naturalizations, the highest in 25 years. The criteria for applicants typically include financial independence, stable employment and strong language skills. The legislative proposals will be fast-tracked through parliament via the governing coalition of conservatives and Social Democrats, bypassing the need for referral to the upper house of parliament, the Bundesrat. (Except headline, this story has not been edited by Firstpost staff)
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
German government restricts migrant family reunification, path to citizenship
BERLIN (Reuters) -Germany's government approved measures to restrict family reunification for migrants and delay citizenship access on Wednesday, forging ahead with a major shift in migration policy under conservative Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The cabinet agreed to a two-year suspension of the right for migrants who do not qualify for full refugee status, so called "subsidiary protection" holders, to bring their children and spouses to Germany. Around 380,000 people, mainly Syrians, hold this status. Subsidiary protection previously allowed 12,000 family members to join their relatives in Germany annually. According to the draft law, this temporary suspension aims "to relieve pressure on Germany's reception and integration systems" and provides an "appropriate means for quickly relieving burden on municipalities". The government also eliminated the "fast-track" naturalization option after three years of residency, extending the minimum waiting period for citizenship to five years. This decision overturns a regulation introduced six months ago by the three-party coalition under Social Democrat Olaf Scholz. Last year, Germany saw around 200,000 naturalizations, the highest in 25 years. The criteria for applicants typically include financial independence, stable employment and strong language skills. The legislative proposals will be fast-tracked through parliament via the governing coalition of conservatives and Social Democrats, bypassing the need for referral to the upper house of parliament, the Bundesrat.
