Legislation which makes all citizens of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) automatic citizens of the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany)
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 September 1989 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | DEU2082 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Legislation which makes all citizens of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) automatic citizens of the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany), 1 September 1989, DEU2082, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6aaee58.html [accessed 17 September 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
As per your conversation with the IRBDC Research Officer, a call was placed to the embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany on 14 September 1989. The spokesperson for the embassy states that in essence it is the Basic Law of the Federal Republic which entitles all Germans to citizenship in the Federal Republic. The Basic Law makes no mention of the GDR and the FRG does not recognize it. Consequently, any person who can prove that they are a German or of recent German ancestry can have citizenship in the FRG. The spokesperson adds that the requirement of recent German ancestry has been used by people of German origin living in Poland, the Soviet Union, and elsewhere in Eastern Europe to acquire West German citizenship. These people are, however, usually required to demonstrate some continuity with their German heritage, i.e. live in a known German village, speak German, be adaptable to the German culture.
As requested, a copy of the Basic Law is attached.