German opposition leader Merz causes stir with promise to revoke citizenship for dual nationals

German opposition leader Friedrich Merz has drawn criticism for proposing to revoke citizenship for dual nationals convicted of crimes, amid a migration-focused election campaign. Critics accuse him of discriminatory rhetoric and aligning with far-right policies.

Friedrich Merz, leader of the center-right CDU, is facing strong criticism for proposing to revoke German citizenship from dual nationals convicted of crimes, calling the reformed naturalization laws "problematic".

In an interview with the German newspaper Welt am Sonntag he criticized the expedited naturalization process introduced by the coalition government in 2024. If elected in the upcoming general election, Merz plans to reintroduce stricter naturalization criteria.

He noted that of more than 200,000 applicants in 2024, around 80 percent wished to retain their original nationality. Merz argued that dual citizenship in Germany should remain an exception to the rule. "We are bringing additional problems into the country with this. At the very least, there should be a possibility to revoke German citizenship when it becomes clear that we made a mistake with individuals who commit crimes," the opposition leader said.

The leader of the governing center-left Social Democrats (SPD) Saskia Esken told Stern magazine that Merz is making naturalized people into "second-class citizens." Left-wing politicians, including the Greens and the Left party also criticized the CDU chancellor candidate on Monday. Meanwhile, the debate over deportations and returning Syrian refugees following the ousting of Bashar al-Assad continues to be highly controversial.