Foreign nationals involved in immigration and citizenship decisions in Germany
An investigation into immigration offices across several German cities has drawn attention to the growing presence of employees who do not hold German citizenship in public bodies responsible for handling residence permits, immigration matters and, in some cases, citizenship applications.
The investigation, conducted by Apollo News after contacting various public administrations, found that the proportion of foreign employees varies significantly from one city to another. In some cases, employees from non-EU countries hold only temporary residence permits.
One of the most notable cases is Hamburg. Of the 423 employees working at the city’s Immigration Office, 37 are not German citizens: 13 are nationals of other European Union countries, while 24 come from non-EU countries. Of those 24 non-EU employees, 14 hold only temporary residence permits.
The Hamburg authorities maintain that this does not restrict the powers of those employees. According to the city administration, all staff members are authorized to make and sign decisions within the responsibilities assigned to them.
The case that triggered the investigation
The issue attracted particular attention following a report broadcast by regional public television in Hesse about an immigration office in Darmstadt. The report featured an Iraqi employee who did not hold German citizenship or permanent residence and who was involved in decisions concerning the residence rights of other foreign nationals.
The case prompted questions over whether the situation was an isolated incident or part of a broader practice. Subsequent inquiries into other administrations suggest that employing foreign nationals in immigration offices is not limited to a single municipality.
Munich: almost one in five employees is not German
In Munich, approximately 19% of employees working in the department responsible for immigration and naturalization do not hold German citizenship.
The city declined to specify how many of them are EU citizens and how many come from non-EU countries. It also did not provide information on their residence status, saying that it does not statistically record whether foreign employees hold permanent residence permits.
In Mannheim, the figure stands at 17.1%. The local office employs four nationals of other EU countries and three citizens of non-EU states. Only one of the three non-EU employees holds permanent residence.
The situation is similar, although on a smaller scale, in Stuttgart. Of the 111 employees authorized to make decisions concerning residence cases, 13 are not German citizens. Seven of them are nationals of countries outside the European Union.
Berlin has 46 foreign employees
In Berlin, the State Immigration Office has 46 employees without German citizenship among approximately 600 staff members dealing with residence-permit matters.
The Berlin authorities declined to disclose how many are EU citizens and how many are nationals of non-EU countries. The administration cited the need to protect the employees’ “private interests.”
At the same time, it confirmed that non-EU employees are not subject to specific restrictions on their ability to make decisions within their assigned responsibilities.
In Dortmund, the immigration office employs five citizens of other EU countries and seven nationals of non-EU states. In Essen, the department that also handles citizenship matters employs ten EU citizens and nine nationals of countries outside the European Union.
In Frankfurt, meanwhile, five of the 126 employees with direct responsibility for residence procedures are citizens of non-EU countries.
Several administrations refuse to provide figures
Not every city contacted provided information. The immigration office in Darmstadt, the authority involved in the case that triggered the investigation, declined to say whether other employees are in a similar situation.
Legal representatives have argued that German law does not generally establish different rules for employees from non-EU countries simply because they are foreign nationals.
The city of Cologne also declined to provide figures.
The administrations contacted maintain that recruitment should be based primarily on professional qualifications and expertise. From this perspective, an employee’s nationality or type of residence permit should not, in itself, determine the powers attached to their position.
A growing debate over immigration authorities
The findings have fueled a broader debate over who should exercise administrative powers relating to immigration and naturalization in Germany.
The most controversial aspect is that some employees involved in immigration decisions are themselves foreign nationals and, in certain cases, do not yet hold permanent residence in Germany.
This does not necessarily constitute a legal violation. German authorities argue that an employee’s powers are determined by their position and professional qualifications rather than by their nationality.
Nevertheless, the issue has prompted political criticism and renewed discussion about what requirements should apply to officials responsible for decisions that can determine whether a foreign national is allowed to remain in Germany and, in some cases, eventually obtain German citizenship.
