FACT CHECK: Has Berlin done away with German citizenship interviews?

A social media post by far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) co-leader Alice Weidel has accused Berlin of giving out German passports in a “clearance sale” without making applicants go through interviews. We put the claim under a microscope.

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In a pre-election post on X this week, Weidel said the lack of citizenship interviews meant the centre-right Christian Democrats – who currently govern Berlin at a state level as senior partner to the Social Democrats – were not changing policy on migration.
Weidel’s post cites an article by Junge Freiheit, a right-wing German newspaper which itself quotes a report in the Swiss Neue Zürchner Zeitung.
Deutsche #Staatsbürgerschaft im Räumungsverkauf. Ganz vorn das #CDU geführte Berlin, wo Ausländern der deutsche Pass inzwischen ohne vorheriges Gespräch ausgehändigt wird. Mit dieser Partei gibt es keine #Migrationswende. #DeshalbAfD https://t.co/6y0RdAUVDS— Alice Weidel (@Alice_Weidel) November 12, 2024

Both papers allege that Berlin is being overwhelmed by administrative complaints – or Untätigkeitsklagen – filed by frustrated citizenship applicants to resolve delays. As a result, the reports allege, Berlin is being incentivised to adopt a policy of “turbo-naturalisation” – handing out citizenship as fast as possible.
READ ALSO: How is Berlin’s immigration office coping with its application backlog?

Is it true? Can you get citizenship in Berlin without ever being interviewed?
Not likely. 
The NZZ report cites the Berlin state immigration authority (LEA) as having dispensed with interview requirements – but the report omits important context coming from how the capital has centralised and digitalised its application processes.
The initial citizenship interview – or Erstgespräch – typically only verifies that the potential citizenship applicant is in fact eligible for German citizenship and has the documents to prove it, such as a proof of reqired residency, a language certificate and proof of passing the citizenship test. 
Berlin state assembly member and Social Democrat Integration Spokesperson Orkan Özdemir tells The Local the city’s new online check tool verifies this eligibility digitally. This frees up personnel resources for other tasks – including interviews later in the process – which German citizenship applicants are still going to have to prepare for.
“Of course one-on-one interviews are still going to take place during the naturalisation process,” says Özdemir.
READ ALSO: Foreigners in Berlin furious over German citizenship delays

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Are legal processes incentivising Berlin to grant citizenship at “turbo speed”?
If they are, neither newspaper report nor Weidel provide any evidence to support it.
What we do know is that Berlin is receiving a lot of administrative court complaints – or Untätigkeitsklagen – due to citizenship cases.
Between October 1st, 2023 and October 31st, 2024, Berlin received 1,509 such administrative complaints. Almost 900 of them are still open.
“That’s a lot,” a spokesperson for the administrative court reportedly told NZZ. 
The NZZ report correctly states that you can file a court complaint if the citizenship authority doesn’t “move on” your application within three months. This is technically correct, but NZZ doesn’t specify what “move on” means.
The JF article Weidel cites goes further, printing factually incorrect information. “If they don’t have a German passport within three months, then an administrative complaint can follow.” This statement is both false and highly misleading.
German citizenship authorities do not – in fact – owe you a decision on your citizenship within three months. What they are supposed to give you within this time is some sort of initial response to your application. You might well say they have to “move on” it.
This response may be a request for additional information, an invitation to an interview, an estimate for when you might have a final decision, or something else.
You may still end up waiting a while for your citizenship to be processed. There is no specified time by which German authorities have to decide on your citizenship application.

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Does public money cover the cost of my administrative complaint?
This is another issue raised in both the NZZ and JF articles. 
“The applicant is spared having to pay this themselves, as would usually be the case,” writes NZZ without providing further context.
This is a highly misleading claim.
First of all, you have to front the cost of filing your administrative complaint. You can get this money back – but only if you win.
READ ALSO: When to consider legal action for your German citizenship application

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#German citizenship
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In a pre-election post on X this week, Weidel said the lack of citizenship interviews meant the centre-right Christian Democrats – who currently govern Berlin at a state level as senior partner to the Social Democrats – were not changing policy on migration.
Weidel’s post cites an article by Junge Freiheit, a right-wing German newspaper which itself quotes a report in the Swiss Neue Zürchner Zeitung.

Deutsche #Staatsbürgerschaft im Räumungsverkauf. Ganz vorn das #CDU geführte Berlin, wo Ausländern der deutsche Pass inzwischen ohne vorheriges Gespräch ausgehändigt wird. Mit dieser Partei gibt es keine #Migrationswende. #DeshalbAfD https://t.co/6y0RdAUVDS
Both papers allege that Berlin is being overwhelmed by administrative complaints – or Untätigkeitsklagen – filed by frustrated citizenship applicants to resolve delays. As a result, the reports allege, Berlin is being incentivised to adopt a policy of “turbo-naturalisation” – handing out citizenship as fast as possible.
READ ALSO: How is Berlin’s immigration office coping with its application backlog?
Is it true? Can you get citizenship in Berlin without ever being interviewed?
Not likely. 
The NZZ report cites the Berlin state immigration authority (LEA) as having dispensed with interview requirements – but the report omits important context coming from how the capital has centralised and digitalised its application processes.
The initial citizenship interview – or Erstgespräch – typically only verifies that the potential citizenship applicant is in fact eligible for German citizenship and has the documents to prove it, such as a proof of reqired residency, a language certificate and proof of passing the citizenship test. 
Berlin state assembly member and Social Democrat Integration Spokesperson Orkan Özdemir tells The Local the city’s new online check tool verifies this eligibility digitally. This frees up personnel resources for other tasks – including interviews later in the process – which German citizenship applicants are still going to have to prepare for.
“Of course one-on-one interviews are still going to take place during the naturalisation process,” says Özdemir.
READ ALSO: Foreigners in Berlin furious over German citizenship delays
Are legal processes incentivising Berlin to grant citizenship at “turbo speed”?
If they are, neither newspaper report nor Weidel provide any evidence to support it.
What we do know is that Berlin is receiving a lot of administrative court complaints – or Untätigkeitsklagen – due to citizenship cases.
Between October 1st, 2023 and October 31st, 2024, Berlin received 1,509 such administrative complaints. Almost 900 of them are still open.
“That’s a lot,” a spokesperson for the administrative court reportedly told NZZ. 
The NZZ report correctly states that you can file a court complaint if the citizenship authority doesn’t “move on” your application within three months. This is technically correct, but NZZ doesn’t specify what “move on” means.
The JF article Weidel cites goes further, printing factually incorrect information. “If they don’t have a German passport within three months, then an administrative complaint can follow.” This statement is both false and highly misleading.
German citizenship authorities do not – in fact – owe you a decision on your citizenship within three months. What they are supposed to give you within this time is some sort of initial response to your application. You might well say they have to “move on” it.
This response may be a request for additional information, an invitation to an interview, an estimate for when you might have a final decision, or something else.
You may still end up waiting a while for your citizenship to be processed. There is no specified time by which German authorities have to decide on your citizenship application.
Does public money cover the cost of my administrative complaint?
This is another issue raised in both the NZZ and JF articles. 
“The applicant is spared having to pay this themselves, as would usually be the case,” writes NZZ without providing further context.
This is a highly misleading claim.
First of all, you have to front the cost of filing your administrative complaint. You can get this money back – but only if you win.
READ ALSO: When to consider legal action for your German citizenship application