BERLIN, Germany - The German parliament on Friday passed two controversial bills regarding the process of deportation and citizenship. The opposition slammed the move, calling for strict immigration regulations. The parliament convened on Friday to discuss two bills submitted by the ruling coalition. There was a consensus on the bill which facilitates the deportation of those migrants whose cases have been denied. “The bill is about two main points on which we have faced difficulties when trying to implement them. Dear Christian Democrat members, I do not recall any of your initiatives you had in this regard in recent years. First, in a series of steps, we will prevent people from intentionally going missing and thwarting their deportation. Second, we will identify them because difficulty in identifying them was an obstacle before their deportation.,” Nancy Faeser, German interior minister, said at the legislature. The minister slammed the opposition when talking about the bill. As per the approved bill, the detention period of newly-arrived migrants has been extended to 28 days or until they are deported. There will be more pressure on those migrants who fail to reveal their identities, including submitting their passports. More pressure will be put on smugglers, including deportation. People who have committed crimes or expressed hatred towards Jews could be deported as well. The second bill is about shortening the period of stay required to obtain citizenship. It allows foreigners to hold dual citizenship. Reem Alabali-Radovan, minister of integration, is a Chrisitan lawmaker, originally from Iraq. She said there are 20 million people in Germany who are not willing to leave. “We are 20 million foreigners and we will stay here. This is our country too. The rights of foreign people should not be taken away from them merely through a verbal confession,” she said at the parliament. The length of time needed to stay in Germany in order to obtain citizenship has been reduced from eight years to five years. It could be reduced to even three years in some cases. People can also now hold more than one passport. However, the applicant should have a job or be financially independent. Another condition for German citizenship is that the applicant should recognize Israel as an independent state. The opposition strongly criticized the bills that were passed by a majority with 382 votes. They argue that, like France, regulations should be strict regarding immigration. People born in Germany can claim citizenship if one of their parents stayed in Germany legally for five years. Nearly 130,000 asylum seekers in Germany have been denied citizenship. Fourteen million people with foreign passports, including 5.5 million from Europe, live in Germany.
