Naturalizations in Berlin: record numbers and district highlights 2023!

Naturalizations in Berlin: record numbers and district highlights 2023!

Berlin, Deutschland - nag/nag editors -

In Berlin, naturalization is booming! The numbers speak a clear language: In 2023, impressive 9,041 people received German citizenship. This is a huge increase compared to the 8,875 naturalizations in 2022 and the approximately 6,400 in 2020. This can be seen from a current answer from the Senate Administration to a parliamentary request from the SPD parliamentary group in the House of Representatives, as rbb24 reported

The increase in naturalization in Berlin has been enormous at around 40 percent since 2020. In a nationwide comparison, the situation is even more dramatic: the increase here was around 80 percent. The Berlin districts show a different picture. The strong increase in Reinickendorf with plus 109 percent is particularly striking, followed by Tempelhof-Schöneberg with plus 92.8 percent and Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg with plus 73.4 percent. The number of naturalizations only decreased by 28.7 percent.

naturalization on record course

The first three quarters of the current year already show that naturalization in Berlin exceeds the total number of the entire previous year. With around 13,400 naturalizations by September 2024, the goal of successfully completing 20,000 naturalization proceedings annually is within reach. The Senate administration is optimistic that this goal will be achieved, thanks to a combination of increased number of applications, increased staff, digitization and improved processes.

An important step in this process was the transfer of responsibility for naturalization applications from the district office to the State Office for Immigration (LEA) in January. This measure is intended to make the processing of the applications more efficient and shorten the waiting times for the applicants.

A look at the districts

The differences between the Berlin districts are striking. While Reinickendorf and Tempelhof-Schöneberg flourish, Pankow has to fight with a decline. These developments could be due to various factors, including the demographic composition and the specific migration patterns in the respective districts. It remains to be seen whether Pankow can catch up again in the future or whether the other districts will continue to be kept.

Naturalization figures are not only an indicator of the integration of migrants into society, but also a sign of the attractiveness of Berlin as a place to live. More and more people are deciding to stay here and become part of German society, which strengthens the cultural diversity and social cohesion of the city, as well as Tagesschau determined.

The future of naturalizations in Berlin looks promising. With the right measures and a clear strategy, the city could not only achieve its goals, but also become a role model for other regions in Germany.