Citizenship

The French government has fast-tracked hundreds of citizenship applications from migrant frontline workers. Over 700 healthcare professionals, cleaners and shop workers have already been granted citizenship or will receive it soon.

The office of Marlene Schiappa, junior minister for citizenship: "Health professionals, cleaning ladies, childcare workers, checkout staff: They all proved their commitment to the nation, and it is now the turn of the republic to take a step towards them."

The German administrative court of Baden-Württemberg has ruled that anyone who refuses to shake hands with women because of fundamentalist values is not allowed to be made a citizen of Germany.

The Lebanese had signed the leaflet on loyalty to the constitution and the rejection of any form of extremism. He had also achieved the maximum number of points in the naturalization test. But then he refused to shake hands with the responsible official during the planned handover. The district administration office thereupon rejected citizenship, a decision that has been upheld by the German court.

Cyprus is suspending its controversial passport scheme by November 1st, after Al Jazeera released an investigation that "implicated high-ranking politicians who were willing to issue passports to convicted criminals."

"The Council of Ministers approved the proposal of the Ministers of Finance and Interior for the abolition of this investment program from 1/11/20. The proposal was based on the timeless weaknesses but also on the abusive exploitation of the provisions of the program," the Ministries of Interior and Finance said in a statement on Twitter.