The German Cabinet has approved two draft bills aimed at tightening the country’s migration laws, including restricting family reunification for certain refugees and ending the fast-track citizenship process for well-integrated migrants.
One proposed change affects people with subsidiary protection status, those who are not full refugees but can stay in Germany due to threats in their home countries.
Under the new rules, their ability to bring family members to join them in Germany will be significantly reduced. The second bill seeks to abolish a provision introduced by the previous coalition government that allowed some migrants to apply for citizenship after just three years of residency, instead of the standard five.
Both bills, introduced by Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt, must still be debated and approved by the Bundestag, Germany’s lower house of parliament, before becoming law.