German Naturalization

Question

Good day friends of wefugees,

Please a friend of mine has problem of applying for german citizenship because of his birth certificate. According to his Asylum,  he was born in South Sudan but was taking away by his Ghanaian mother when he was 6 months old from his South sudan father and now he can't get birth certificate from ghana and also South sudan because he grew up in Libya but now he has been asked to apply for german citizenship and they are requesting for his birth certificate,  my question is that, Can court grant him any certificate so that he can apply for the german citizenship? Or what can he do ? Any advice will be appreciated.  I have tried so hard doing research to get answers for him but can't find any answers.  Please we need your help . Thanks

Answer 1

Dear @Denny28, 

Welcome back to the Wefugees Community and thank you for reaching out to us again. 

For the naturalization in Germany, the authorities request from the applicants to prove their identity. Unfortunately, I am not an expert on the naturalization process, but I tried to make some research. I am sure that the authorities will ask for the birth certificate (and maybe even the legalisation) in the first place. I read, however, that in exceptional cases the identity may also be proven and confirmed with other documents than the birth certificate. No court in Germany will issue a birth certificate though. From my experience with German authorities, you (or your friend) may need individual support (either by a lawyer or a good counselling office) to make some progress. I will link my dear colleague @Alla_fka here as well. Maybe she can add some information or recommendations. 

All the best for you and your friend, 

Meike

Answer 2

Hello,

the requirement to have an original birth certificate ist very strong and I wouldn't await that it will be abandoned. German citizenship is seen as the ultimate step, normally it can't be taken away later, therefore the authorities are much harder than even with Niederlassungserlaubnis (unlimited residence permit). By the way, if your friend already has this unlimited permit, it is a question how he persuaded the Ausländerbehörde to give it: for this you normally also need an original birth certificate. But anyway, the naturalisation (Einbürgerung) is processed by another authority, Einbürgerungsbehörde, and they are even stricter in this point.

If your friend knows the place of his birth, it is perhaps possible to find out, if his birth war registered there. Sometimes people get documents with the help of a special lawyer in their country (the contacts of the lawyers you can ask in the German embassy there). I am only afraid, your friend will have to pay himself for that.

I don't know if it can work with help of the people who can make an official witness of the birth. But as your friend was taken from the country of birth in a very early age, I have doubts that it is possible to find such witnesses.

I think you need an advice of a lawyer who specialises in Einbürgerung. There is certainly much legal practice in such cases, but I have no knowledge here, it is very specific.