Refugees Want to Stay in Germany Long Term and Become German Citizens

Abstract

Becoming a German citizen marks a key step in the integration process of immigrants. An analysis of data from the Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP) shows that more and more refugees from six main countries who came to Germany between 2013 and 2019 were already naturalized or had applied to naturalize. The share of immigrants who had already naturalized increased from 2.1 percent in 2021 to 7.5 percent in 2023, and the number of applications tripled to 25.7 percent in the same time period. Over 98 percent of the respondents hope to naturalize. Syrian refugees naturalize more frequently than immigrants from other countries. Dual citizenship is widespread: In 2023, around 88 percent of naturalized immigrants retained their original citizenship. Good German skills and naturalized partners play a key role in naturalizing successfully. In 2024, German nationality law underwent reforms. While these reforms will likely increase the number of naturalization applications by decreasing the required residency period, they are likely to also increase selectivity and disadvantages among vulnerable groups due to the stricter requirements.