Dutch migration researcher and social scientist Ruud Koopmans has described the current rapid naturalisations as a “demographic time bomb” that could lead to 7 million Syrians in Germany within 50 years. Koopmans says that family reunification is the main factor, and with many relatives of these newly naturalised migrants having the right to reunification, it could transform Germany.Koopmans criticises Germany’s rapid naturalisation of migrants, which was initiated under the last far-left German government of Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
“One must consider whether refugees should be given access to German citizenship so quickly. If they are German nationals, there is no limit on family migration. Then any possibility of managing these migration flows is gone,“ he said in an interview with Cicero.
“This rapid naturalisation can be considered a demographic time bomb in the long run,” he added.
He stated that the so-called “turbo naturalisation “ after three years was removed by the current ruling government. The reality is that this option for receiving German citizenship after three years applied to very few people, sometimes numbering less than 10 people in certain German states.
However, standard naturalisation is still possible after five years.
“I see a problem with naturalisation. This limitation on family reunification only applies to those granted subsidiary protection as long as they don’t yet have German citizenship. While the federal government’s reform abolished accelerated naturalisation after three years, standard naturalisation after five years—even for people who came as refugees—remains,” he said.
Foreigners in Germany can receive citizenship after five years if they prove legal residence and an independent economic livelihood, have no criminal record, and have sufficient knowledge of German. However, there have also been widespread reports of cheating on the German-language tests.
Many of these new citizens are men, and they will want to bring their families to Germany.
“It is essential to consider the consequences this will have for the future. These (approx.) one million people are heavily overrepresented by men. They will largely seek their marriage partners in their country of origin. This is highly likely because marriage in these countries is typically within extended families. Marriage in these societies is also an economic transaction between families, and the ticket to Europe is an important means of exchange,” said Koopmans.
He then cited the rapid growth of previous immigrant populations, who used family reunification to grow their numbers by millions. Turks are a good case study, who are now over 6 million in number in Germany. They also remain extremely poorly integrated, and in fact, the recent gang war in Berlin, which has helped fuel a record number of shootings in the capital city this year, is due in large part to a feud between Turkish Mafia gangs.
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