TAfter Wednesday’s approval of a new immigration bill, thousands of migrants who had been in Germany for many years will now be eligible to apply for permanent residence.
This new regulation was approved by the Cabinet and applies to approximately 136,000 persons who had lived in Germany at least 5 years prior to January 1, 2022.
The first step to permanent residence in Germany is to apply for a 1-year resident status. They must earn enough money to make an independent living in the country, speak German and prove that they are “well integrated” into society.
After three years of living in Germany, anyone under 27 may apply to Germany for permanent residence.
“We want people who are well integrated to have good opportunities in our country,” Interior Minister Nancy Faeser told reporters. “In this way, we also put an end to bureaucracy and uncertainty for people who have already become part of our society.”
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The new migration regulation will also make it easier for asylum-seekers to learn German—so far only those with a realistic chance of receiving asylum in the country were eligible for language classes—with all asylum applicants getting the chance to enroll in classes.
For skilled laborers, such as information technology specialists and others that hold professions that are desperately needed in Germany, the new regulation will allow that they can move to Germany together with their families right away, which wasn’t possible before. Family members don’t need to have any language skills before moving to the country.
“We need to attract skilled workers more quickly. We urgently need them in many sectors,” Faeser said. “We want skilled workers to come to Germany very quickly and gain a foothold here.”
It will make it simpler to deport criminals. The bill includes the possibility of extending detention for certain offenders’ deportation from 3 months to 6 months. German news agency dpa said that this extension was intended to allow authorities to have more time in preparation for deportation. This includes clarifying identity and obtaining missing documents, as well organizing a seat on an airliner.
“In the future, it will be easier to revoke the right of residence of criminals,” Faeser said. “For offenders, we will make it easier to order detention pending deportation, thus preventing offenders who are obliged to leave the country from going into hiding before being deported.”
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