Germany eases citizenship rules, drops restrictions on dual passports

Germany's parliament has approved easing the rules for obtaining citizenship by lifting restrictions on dual citizenship.

The government says that this step will help in attracting skilled workers. At the same time, the main opposition has accused the government of distributing German citizenship at a cheap price.

Under the new law, people will be eligible for citizenship in Germany after five years and in special cases, citizenship can be taken after three years. Currently it takes 6 to 8 years.

At the same time, if one of the parents is a legal resident for the last five years, then their child born in Germany will automatically get the status of a citizen. Earlier, it was necessary for either of the parent to be a legal resident for 8 years.

The ban on holding dual citizenship will also be lifted. Until now, most people from countries other than European Union members and Switzerland had to give up their previous citizenship when acquiring citizenship in Germany, although some have exemptions.