Background: Investigations into fraud in language tests
The current debate stems from investigations by the police in Nuremberg, where a suspected network allegedly organizing language tests was uncovered.
A 39-year-old man is accused of recruiting German-speaking individuals. These individuals are alleged to have taken exams under false names on behalf of people who did not have sufficient German language skills.
Language certificates are an important prerequisite for Naturalization, as they provide proof of sufficient German language skills. In recent months, there have been several cases in which such certificates are alleged to have been forged or obtained by deception. This shows that the authorities are now checking certificates particularly carefully and consistently prosecuting violations.
Naturalization freeze – What is the CDU demanding?
Against this backdrop, Alexander Throm, spokesperson for domestic policy for the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the Bundestag, is calling for a comprehensive review of naturalization procedures. If there are doubts about the authenticity of language certificates, the procedures should be suspended for the duration of the investigation.
He told Bild: "All cases where the authenticity of language certificates is unclear must be investigated. Ongoing proceedings should be suspended for the duration of the investigation." It must be ensured that naturalizations are based exclusively on legitimate and verifiable evidence.
It is important to note that this does not mean a halt to all naturalization procedures. A blanket suspension of naturalizations without concrete suspicion would also not be legally permissible. The CDU politician's demand explicitly refers to procedures in which there is concrete suspicion of fraud or where the evidence submitted cannot be clearly verified.
Fraud in Naturalization: How the authorities act in practice
Alexander Throm is not calling for anything fundamentally new. According to current administrative practice, naturalization is already suspended if there are doubts about the authenticity of the documents submitted.
The competent authorities are obliged to carefully check all documents. If there is concrete suspicion of deception—for example, in connection with language certificates—the entire procedure will be suspended until the matter has been fully clarified.
The CDU's demand is therefore likely to focus primarily on stricter and more consistent application of existing audit requirements.
Ten-year ban for deception in naturalization proceedings
Throm also referred to the new law that came into force in December 2025. According to this law, a person can be Naturalization from Naturalization for up to ten years if they have deliberately deceived or provided false information during the procedure.
This also applies if the fraud is only Naturalization after Naturalization and German citizenship is revoked.
Support from the federal states
Support for this position comes from the federal states. The CDU state chairman of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Daniel Peters, also spoke out in favor of suspending naturalization procedures in cases of suspected fraud. Only after the allegations have been fully clarified should the procedures be continued.
He emphasized that the misuse of language certificates is not a minor offense, but an attack on fairness and trust in the rule of law. Attempts at fraud must therefore have noticeable legal consequences.
Conclusion
The current demands from the CDU do not change the existing legal situation. Naturalization procedures must not be suspended across the board, but only when there is concrete suspicion of fraud.
This is also in line with existing administrative practice: if there are doubts about the authenticity of the evidence submitted, the authority suspends the procedure until the matter has been fully clarified.
For applicants, this means that anyone who submits proper and verifiable documents does not need to fear a naturalization ban. However, deception or suspected fraud can result in significant legal consequences—including a naturalization ban lasting several years.
