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Berlin Hit by Surge of Citizenship Lawsuits as Justice Senator Urges Fix

The surge stems from unprecedented application volumes after 2024 nationality‑law changes.

Overview

  • Nearly 2,000 inactivity lawsuits over naturalization decisions reached Berlin’s administrative court in the first ten months of the year, up 20% from 2024 and 33 times the 2022 level.
  • The Landesamt für Einwanderung is missing the Senate’s three‑month processing target as it handles roughly 75,000 new applications since January 2024 plus about 40,000 older files.
  • Justice Senator Felor Badenberg wrote to Interior Senator Iris Spranger requesting urgent measures to address what she called a concerning development affecting the courts.
  • The interior administration credits delays to volume rather than inefficiency, pledges continued support for the LEA, and says it has reinforced the office’s process unit.
  • Naturalizations have increased, with 21,811 people receiving citizenship last year and 27,055 by the end of August this year.