Overview

• Berlin’s interior administration publicly asserted that the fully digital naturalization process carries no extra security risks and actually enhances overall safety
• Officials say the new system enables direct, secure digital inquiries with security agencies and the federal central register, yielding faster, more reliable results
• Complete digital access to foreigner records allows staff to spot inconsistencies and document manipulation more quickly than under the previous analog workflow
• Mayor Kai Wegner requested guarantees for rigorous legal vetting and both he and Senator Iris Spranger affirmed their commitment to thorough review as caseloads expand
• Since the Landesamt für Einwanderung took over and digitalized procedures in early 2024, Berlin’s naturalizations climbed from 9,041 in 2023 to 21,802 in 2024 and reached 20,060 in the first half of 2025 with projections over 40,000 by year-end