German government : New immigration policies What is the concern of the Arab community ?

New immigration policies What is the concern of the Arab community in the German government agreement?

After weeks of negotiations, three German parties announced their agreement on the formation of the country's future government. While the issue of immigration and easing its procedures was one of the most prominent topics discussed during those negotiations.

After more than 300 negotiation sessions, in which about 20 working groups participated, the three German parties, the Social Democrats, the Greens and the Free Democrats, reached an agreement on the formation of a new coalition government. This government will be led by Olaf Schulz, the leader of the Social Democrats, as chancellor, succeeding conservative Angela Merkel.

The coalition, which was nicknamed "Traffic Lights", will enter the battlefield amid a wave of crises in the country and the European region, most notably the wave of refugees at the Polish-Belarus border. One of the most prominent issues raised within the program brought by the coalition was the immigration file, which is of particular interest to the Arab community, while promising to ease its procedures.

Radical reform and easier migration

In this regard, the German government agreement urged a "fundamental reform of the European asylum system", as EU members have failed for years to reach agreement on a common approach to dealing with asylum seekers. He stressed, in reference to the border crisis with Belarus, that "the European Union and Germany should not be open to blackmail."

In return, it announced that it plans to make Germany a more attractive destination for immigrants, and aims to facilitate life for asylum seekers who wish to integrate. "We want to create a new beginning in the immigration and integration policy that does justice to the modern immigration state," the coalition agreement said, "and we will reduce irregular immigration and provide more means of regular immigration."

This comes as previously stated in its "exploratory paper" on which the three-party negotiations were based, stating that "those well-integrated in Germany and well secured should be able to obtain legally secure residence status faster", referring to rejected asylum seekers.

The three parties oppose the forced deportation of refugees, although this process will remain part of the overall immigration policy of the next government for those who do not meet the legal requirements for asylum. The coalition's plan for them promises to put in place provisions to ensure that deportations are temporarily halted if the security situation worsens in a particular country.

The "traffic light" parties pledged not to build any refugee detention centers, whether on their territory or on the territory of a third country, stressing their quest to speed up asylum procedures, while improving funding for voluntary return programs guaranteed by the state for people who do not have the right to residency, stressing that these programs are a means Preferred to send immigrants.

Residence permit and dual naturalization

On the issue of residency, the three-party agreement promised to grant residency to foreigners who are "law-abiding and have been living in Germany for years without legal status". Under this, anyone who has lived in Germany for five years by January 1, 2022, has not committed any criminal offenses and is committed to the country's free democratic system, will be able to obtain a one-year residence permit on the basis of tests. This will be a first step for them to obtain permanent residency, and to have their families join them after 4-6 years if they integrate well into society.

In addition to all this, it is also possible that a new citizenship law will be introduced, which will make it easier for millions of immigrants in Germany to obtain citizenship after less than three years in the country. This new law will grant children born in Germany to foreign parents German citizenship, if one of them has been legally resident in Germany for five years. More importantly, they will also be allowed to retain their previous nationalities upon naturalization as German citizens