In the second year of the pandemic, 2021, the number of asylum applications in Germany had almost reached the pre-corona level again.

With more than 148,000 asylum applications, almost 45 percent more applications than in the previous year were recorded, as can be seen from the Federal Government’s 2021 migration report, which the newspaper “Die Welt” quotes.

At around 105,000 in 2021, the number of visas issued has also approached the level before the pandemic.

The report is due to be approved by the cabinet this Wednesday.

In total, around 1.3 million foreigners moved to Germany in 2021, almost 500,000 of them from countries outside Europe.

However, only about 40,000 of them are qualified or highly qualified workers.

Although this number has increased by 35 percent compared to the previous year, it is still below the average for 2019, when around 64,000 migrant workers from outside the EU came to Germany before travel restrictions were imposed.

According to the report, the main countries of origin were India and the Western Balkan countries as well as Turkey, the United States and China.

According to the information, the number of naturalizations in 2021 also increased slightly.

This rose from around 129,000 to 132,000.

Around 20,000 naturalizations concerned Syrians who presumably came to Germany in 2015 and were therefore able to meet the requirements for naturalization after six years.

CDU: Citizenship is "sold off"

"The figures in the migration report impressively show that accelerated naturalization is used for special integration services," said Filiz Polat (Greens), member of the Bundestag and migration expert, to the newspaper.

In her estimation, the potential for naturalization is "significantly higher".

The traffic light coalition is currently planning a reform of citizenship law.

This provides for simplifications in the naturalization process, such as reducing the necessary length of stay from eight to five years.

For "special integration achievements" such as voluntary work or outstanding school achievements, it should even be reduced to three years.

More opportunities for a double pass should also be created.

The proposal has been criticized by the opposition, the CDU has repeatedly spoken of the planned amendment as a "sale" of German citizenship.