The plenary chamber of the German Bundestag. Photo: Times via Wikimedia Commons

i24 News – Germany on Friday passed legislation to naturalize some Nazi victims’ descendants who had previously been denied citizenship in what it called a symbolic step toward rectifying past injustice.

The so-called “reparation citizenship” measure passed the Bundestag lower house of parliament with a large majority in a marathon session before the summer recess.

Lawmakers also updated the citizenship law to bar naturalization of people convicted of a racist, antisemitic or xenophobic act.

The first reform closes legal loopholes which had led to descendants of people who fled Nazi Germany to escape persecution having their applications for a German passport rejected.

“This is not just about putting things right, it is about apologizing in profound shame,” said Interior Minister Horst Seehofer when the government passed the draft law in March.

“It is a huge fortune for our country if people want to become German, despite the fact that we took everything from their ancestors.”

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.