Overview

• Bernd Raffelhüschen of the University of Freiburg called for Germany’s migration and naturalization frameworks to prioritize migrants’ net economic contributions
• He proposed prioritizing qualified migrants under age 30—with an emphasis on achieving gender balance—and limiting entry after that age to highly skilled professionals
• The economist insisted that entrants must demonstrate willingness to live according to a Christian-liberal Leitkultur as a condition for admission and citizenship
• Hessian Interior Minister Roman Poseck warned that lax naturalization standards devalue German citizenship and demanded clear, transparent prerequisites
• Germany recorded 291,000 naturalizations in 2024—a 46 percent increase over the previous year—and Berlin doubled its mid-year total to 20,000 by June 2025