Good opportunities for well-integrated people

type:
News

, Topic:
Migration

, Date:
02 December 2022

Today the German Bundestag adopted the legislation on new residence opportunities and on speeding up asylum procedures that was presented by the Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community.

Source:
Henning Schacht

This morning, a majority of Members of the German Bundestag voted to adopt the new legislation on residence opportunities. A majority also approved the legislation on speeding up asylum procedures and appeals.

Minister Faeser: Introducing new prospects

Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser spoke of the genuine new prospects that the Bundestag has introduced by adopting these bills. Through the new legislation on residence opportunities, the Federal Government wants to reduce the number of individuals whose deportation has been suspended long-term and abolish the practice of issuing successive suspensions of deportation. “We want people who are well integrated to have good opportunities in our country. This is what the new residence opportunities provide for”, Federal Minister Faeser said.

Through the legislation on speeding up asylum procedures, too, the Federal Government is implementing another important priority from its coalition agreement. This legislation will make asylum procedures quicker and less bureaucratic.  

Residence granted for a year and half to fulfil the criteria for permanent residence

The new legislation on residence opportunities provides 18 months of legal residence for people whose deportation has been suspended and who have been living in Germany for at least five years. They can use this time to work on fulfilling the remaining requirements for a right of residence. This mainly involves demonstrating that they are able to support themselves financially, that they can speak German and that they are able to provide clear proof of their identity. If all requirements are met, these individuals will receive a permanent right of residence in Germany.

New residence opportunities: What else is changing?

• Well-integrated individuals under 27 years of age may be granted the right of residence after three years.
• It will be easier for skilled workers to bring their families with them to Germany, as family members will no longer need to prove that they can speak German.
• Asylum applicants will be able to start taking language and integration courses while their asylum case is still pending, regardless of their prospects of remaining in Germany.
• It will be easier to withdraw criminal offenders’ right of residence and to order detention prior to deportation to ensure that they do not abscond before deportation.

Quicker, less bureaucratic asylum procedures

The legislation on speeding up asylum procedures and appeals is also intended to ease the administrative burden on the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) and the administrative courts. It will make asylum procedures quicker and less bureaucratic. The legislation also aims to improve legal certainty so that decisions can be made more quickly in asylum cases and uniformity can be achieved in court rulings.

The next step, now that the Bundestag has approved the bills, is for the Bundesrat to consult on them.