The New York TimesThe New York Times

In Germany, easing a path to citizenship comes with a fight

By Christopher F. Schuetze

27 May 2023 · 5 min read

informed Summary

  1. After months of political wrangling, the German government presented a plan to make it easier and faster for employed immigrants to become citizens.

HAMBURG, Germany — Young, educated and motivated, José Leonardo Cabrera Barroso is just the kind of immigrant the government says Germany needs.

Originally from Venezuela, he settled into Germany, learned the language and got his German medical license. At 34, he is specializing as a trauma surgeon, working at a hospital in the northern port city of Hamburg. It took him six years — and because of his expertise, he was allowed to apply for citizenship sooner than the eight years required for most others.

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