THR

I am very interested in the German interpretation of gaining citizenship. According to them many people who are adults but have not even set their feet on the German soil are more entitled to the German citizenship than many people who were born outside Germany but have lived in Germany for years. All because of some German interpretation as to who is German is who is not.

I know that eventually anyone residing in Germany for a long enough period of time will be granted citizenship but the law clearly puts people in different positions. For example, a Polish farmer from Silesia who doesn't speak a word of German but his grandparents were German, is more entitled to the citizenship than people who actually live in Germany.

Tell me that I'm talking bollocks because I wish I am.

notathome

Not quite true. Anyone in the EU (Poland included) may move to Germany and if they so wish, become German citizens. I suspect you mean the Russian Germans? These are entitled to come back to their 'homeland' and in some cases claim German pensions without having contributed a penny towards the pension squeme. However, this is a result of history. I don't object to them coming. Who do you mean when you say some people can't become German citizens?

JAJ

If you live in Germany for 8 years (less if married to a German) you can become a German citizen.

Since 2000, children born in Germany to foreign parents are German citizens at birth if parents have permanent resident permits and have lived in Germany for 8 years.