The German Parliament rejected on Wednesday a bill that would have reduced the time for obtaining citizenship for well-integrated individuals from five to three years, a decision that highlights the increasing tensions related to immigration.

The German Parliament voted against a bill that allowed the naturalization of individuals with exceptional integration after three years, instead of five. The bill, supported by the previous SPD government, aimed to attract foreign workers, but the new Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced its cancellation, arguing that illegal immigration must be combated. Despite the rejection, the government retained some measures favorable to immigration, such as reducing the naturalization period from eight to five years.