Described by Berlin as a symbolic step, the measure helps close legal loopholes which had led to many victims’ descendants having their citizenship application rejected. “This is not just about putting things right, it is about apologising in profound shame,” said Interior Minister Horst Seehofer. While Germany has long allowed descendants of persecuted Jews to reclaim citizenship, the lack of a legal framework meant many applicants were rejected before a rule change in 2019. (article continues below) See also on The Local:Some were denied because their ancestors fled Germany and took on another nationality before their citizenship was officially revoked. “It is gesture of decency if both the victims and their descendants are able to claim German citizenship on legal grounds,” said the council’s president Josef Schuster.

Source: The Local March 24, 2021 17:03 UTC