Third World Quarterly· 2026Q1
Dual citizenship as a threshold institution: Germany’s citizenship reform and transnational political participation among people of Turkiye-origin
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- 2026year
Short summary
Germany's 2024 citizenship reform, which allows dual nationality and shortens residency for naturalization to five years, is interpreted by people of Turkiye-origin as an institutional opening for dual political participation in both Germany and Türkiye.
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Key points
- Germany's 2024 Citizenship Act reform allows dual citizenship and reduces naturalization residency to five years.
- The reform is interpreted as an 'institutional opening' for political participation in both Germany and Türkiye.
- Individuals can now obtain German citizenship without renouncing Turkish citizenship, maintaining homeland ties.
- Former Turkish citizens and descendants see reacquiring Turkish citizenship as a way to regain electoral voice in Türkiye.
- Participation in both countries is complementary, challenging 'divided loyalties' narratives.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
The reform of Germany’s Citizenship Act (StARModG), in force since 27 June 2024, marks a turning point in the country’s approach to citizenship and political inclusion by reducing the regular residence requirement for naturalisation from eight years to five and removing the general obligation to renounce previous citizenships. Drawing on 21 semi-structured interviews with Turkish citizens, former Turkish citizens, political refugees and descendants of earlier migrants in Germany, this article examines how the new law is interpreted as an institutional opening for political participation in Germany and Türkiye. The article conceptualises dual citizenship as a threshold institution: a legal form that expands access to formal rights while legitimising overlapping attachments across borders. The analysis identifies two interconnected trajectories. First, Turkish citizens who had delayed German naturalisation because of the renunciation requirement now see German citizenship as compatible with continued homeland ties. Second, former Turkish citizens and their descendants, including political refugees, interpret reacquisition of Turkish citizenship as a way to regain electoral voice in Türkiye. These findings challenge the narrative of ‘divided loyalties’ and show that participation in Germany and Türkiye is complementary. The article demonstrates how Germany’s new law reactivates political participation across the transnational political field linking Germany and Türkiye.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Third World Quarterly, 2026 · DOI ↗
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Field: Demography
DemographySocial Sciences