Germany Eases Process For Nazi Victims' Descendants To Get Citizenship

The first reform closes legal loopholes which had led to descendants of people who fled Nazi Germany to escape persecution, having their passport applications rejected.

Germany on Friday passed legislation to naturalise some Nazi victims' descendants who had previously been denied citizenship in what it called a symbolic step toward redressing past injustice. The so-called "reparation citizenship" measure passed the Bundestag lower house of parliament with a large majority in a marathon session before the summer recess. Lawmakers also updated the citizenship law to bar naturalisation of people convicted of a racist, anti-Semitic or xenophobic act. The first reform closes legal loopholes which had led to descendants of people who fled Nazi Germany to escape persecution having their applications for a German passport rejected.