German push to ease migrants' citizenship path faces red tape reality check
Germany's cabinet has approved a draft bill to ease the citizenship law in an attempt to attract skilled migrants to address labor shortages. The draft shortens the required residency time for migrants and allows dual citizenship. The new law also simplifies the path to citizenship for foreign "guest workers" brought in decades ago. However, experts warn that the reforms may not be able to quickly address the backlog of naturalization applications and attract global talent due to long waiting times and administrative challenges. Germany's naturalization rate is below the EU average.