Opposing citizenship, Merkel's party toughens on Turks
"Mutti [mother]" Angela Merkel embracing migrants may become a thing of the past ahead of next year's elections with the German Chancellor revealing her party's more conservative side.
Her Christian Democratic Union (CDU) voted yesterday in favor of scrapping rules that allow the children of immigrants to be dual citizens despite strong reaction by other parties and from its partners in government. The intra-party decision will be particularly hurting for Turks who make up a large majority of immigrant population with a number around 3.5 million. A staple of German society since 1960s when they arrived as "guest workers," Turks, despite facing xenophobic, racist attacks, managed to blend in amid Germany's "integration" efforts. However, the CDU vote ahead of elections where Merkel will seek a fourth term, preferably without coalition, will likely shatter the integration process as it calls for a ban on German-born children of immigrants from outside the European Union or Switzerland to pick one of two nationalities between ages 18 to 23. The rule was dropped after Merkel was forced to form a coalition government with center-left Social Democrats who put its removal as a precondition to form the government in 2013.
Deputy Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel, of the Social Democrats, said the vote was a "blow to integration" and would place the children of immigrants under "blanket suspicion of disloyalty" according to German news agency DPA.
Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere had argued against the motion, noting that no potential coalition partner after next year's election would agree to it.
Justice Minister Heiko Maas, a Social Democrat, said toughening the dual citizenship rules would be "a gigantic setback for integration." He said his party wouldn't agree to such a move.
Angela Merkel, despite fierce opposition by the far-right and sometimes from her own party, adopted a rhetoric tolerant of a wave of migrants especially from war-torn Syria as Germany saw an unprecedented influx last year.
On Tuesday, long gone was Merkel who once said Islam was part of Germany as the veteran politician called for a ban on the burqa "whenever it is legally possible."
Her Christian Democratic Union (CDU) voted yesterday in favor of scrapping rules that allow the children of immigrants to be dual citizens despite strong reaction by other parties and from its partners in government. The intra-party decision will be particularly hurting for Turks who make up a large majority of immigrant population with a number around 3.5 million. A staple of German society since 1960s when they arrived as "guest workers," Turks, despite facing xenophobic, racist attacks, managed to blend in amid Germany's "integration" efforts. However, the CDU vote ahead of elections where Merkel will seek a fourth term, preferably without coalition, will likely shatter the integration process as it calls for a ban on German-born children of immigrants from outside the European Union or Switzerland to pick one of two nationalities between ages 18 to 23. The rule was dropped after Merkel was forced to form a coalition government with center-left Social Democrats who put its removal as a precondition to form the government in 2013.
Deputy Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel, of the Social Democrats, said the vote was a "blow to integration" and would place the children of immigrants under "blanket suspicion of disloyalty" according to German news agency DPA.
Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere had argued against the motion, noting that no potential coalition partner after next year's election would agree to it.
Justice Minister Heiko Maas, a Social Democrat, said toughening the dual citizenship rules would be "a gigantic setback for integration." He said his party wouldn't agree to such a move.
Angela Merkel, despite fierce opposition by the far-right and sometimes from her own party, adopted a rhetoric tolerant of a wave of migrants especially from war-torn Syria as Germany saw an unprecedented influx last year.
On Tuesday, long gone was Merkel who once said Islam was part of Germany as the veteran politician called for a ban on the burqa "whenever it is legally possible."