You move to a new country, work hard, pay your taxes and build a life there. But when you apply for citizenship, the system treats you like you're invisible. That's what happened to one Indian tech business owner in Berlin and his story shines a light on the unfair treatment many Indians face in Germany amid surging far-right politics and hate.
This guy, originally from India, has lived in Germany for more than seven years. He's self-employed in tech, makes good money, has public health insurance and puts plenty into his pension. He's never been out of work and his record is spotless. Back in late February, he turned in his citizenship application with all the required papers - invoices, tax forms, even a full review report. Then, nothing. For months, the Berlin office ignored him.
By July, five months later, he sent more documents to nudge them. Still silent. In August, he warned them he'd sue for their lack of action if they didn't respond by the end of the month. That deadline came and went with no reply. So in early September, he hired a lawyer and filed the lawsuit. The court gave the office four months to decide, but then came the shocking news: They hadn't even looked at his file. After nine months of waiting, it was just sitting there. Finally, after his lawyer pushed again, they approved his citizenship in November and paid back his 1,350 euros in legal costs. He won, but think about the stress and wasted time.
This isn't just bad luck. It's part of a bigger problem in Germany's immigration setup, where self-employed people wait longer than those with regular jobs, even if everything checks out. And Indians get the worst of it. With the far-right AfD party on the rise, anti-foreigner feelings are boiling over and skilled Indians who help the economy are leaving because of the hate they face. In the 2025 federal election, AfD grabbed 20.8% of the vote, making them the second-biggest party and reshaping the political scene with their anti-immigrant push. They've surged in state and local votes too, like tripling their share in North Rhine-Westphalia to 16.5%, feeding off fears about migrants.
Germany's anti-discrimination office saw more complaints than ever in 2025, mostly about racism based on where you're from or what you look like - over 3,800 reports of racial incidents alone. Refugees and migrants report feeling less welcome, with xenophobia spiking and hate crimes on the up. Anti-Muslim attacks jumped 114% since late 2023, but it's hitting all foreigners, including Indians labeled as job-stealers or outsiders. Civil groups link this to AfD's rhetoric, which stirs up hate speech and makes life tougher for immigrants.
On top of that, the government is tightening the screws on citizenship and immigration. They scrapped the fast-track path that let top-skilled folks like our Berlin entrepreneur become citizens after just three years, rolling it back to five or eight years minimum. Stricter asylum rules, more deportations and border blocks have turned away 18,000 people already in 2025, signaling a hard shift against newcomers. Even the new Skilled Immigration Act, meant to ease things for workers, now comes with tougher checks and limits, making it harder for non-EU talents to stay long-term.
Why does a successful Indian professional have to fight so hard while others move faster? Old stereotypes paint Indians as threats not fitting in and with AfD fanning the flames, this anger spreads from online rants to real-life backlash. When folks speak up, they often face more trouble, eroding trust in the system. Germany talks about needing skilled workers, but these changes and the rising hate tell a different story - it's pushing people away.
Keep this up and more brains will drain out, leaving Germany weaker. Indians, like most other migrants, just want a fair shot - not special treatment. If they can't find it in Germany, they will go somewhere else.
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