#302: Lost citizenship applications, welcome money, drug deaths
How to find a clean lake
Dear 20 Percent,
“On brand,” one expat tweeted in response to the news that the Ländesamt für Einwanderung aka Ausländerbehörde accidentally “deleted” 582 applications for German citizenship that were submitted since the new dual-citizenship law went into effect on June 27. Tagesspiegel found out that the first batch of applications were “initially recorded but not processed correctly” due to “faulty software configuration”.
To be fair, the files were not deleted by the immigration office, but by the forever-failing ITDZ, Berlin’s central IT department. 😊
Affected applicants have been informed, authorities say. They’ll have to re-apply but won’t have to pay the application fee again.
Were any of you affected by this glitch? Let us know in the comments!
Possible silver lining: Tagesspiegel (paywall) also reports that digitalisation has sped up the naturalisation process this year. By July 14, 6,534 Berliners had become German, versus 9,041 for all of 2023.
Caveat: 24,314 applications have been submitted this year and the city’s goal is just 20,000 new citizens per year.
More news below.
Maurice
PS: A massive thank you to our long-time partners at Ironhack. Be sure to attend their Summer Working Event on July 31st!
Welcome money?
When the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, West Germany offered East German citizens 100 deutschmarks each, allowing them to sample the wares of capitalism. Begrüßungsgeld could be back! Berlin’s economics minister Franziska Giffey (SPD) has proposed paying people €100 to register in the city. Apparently, a sizeable number of folks who move here never bother registering. The result is, according to Giffey, a net loss of €3,000 per person from lost tax transfers from the richer parts of Germany. Those transfers are based on the registered population of the city.
Record drug-related deaths
New police stats confirm the perception that hard drugs are on the rise on the streets of Berlin: A record number of people died in connection to illegal drugs in 2023, according to BZ. 271 people died in Berlin last year, up from 230 in 2022. Deaths rose to 2,227 Germany-wide, twice as many as a decade ago, but deaths per capita were highest in Berlin. Heroin, crack and cocaine or a mix of drugs accounted for most deaths. Rüdiger Schmolke from the non-profit emergency advice centre Drogennotdienst Berlin (English info) told Tagesschau, it was hard to predict the effect of mixing drugs. Mixing cocaine and tranquillisers such as benzodiazepines is particularly risky, Schmolke said.
Go, Grover, go
I’ve always found the name “Grover” confusing. For me, the purple guy on Sesame Street comes to mind, but others associate the name with the Berlin company that rents and refurbishes 6,000 different types of electronic devices in several countries. A few days ago, Grover announced it had secured €50m in bridge financing from investors such as Cool Japan Fund. The firm, which was founded in 2015 and employs more than 300, says it wants to “further accelerate its transformation towards a circular economy”.
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Selected events from The Next Day Berlin:
The biggest weekend event is CSD Berlin Pride, on Saturday from 11 am. This year, the main topics are queer in old age, sport/soccer, Islam, a strong queer network in Germany, and TIN – a feminist perspective. The program for this week includes a lot of nice and different tours. The official demo starts at noon from Leipziger Strasse/corner of Spittelmarkt through Mitte, Schönenberg to the Bundesrat, Potsdamer Platz, and Brandenburg Tor.
Bite Club
Friday, 26.07, from 3 pm. Arena Berlin and Badeschiff, Kreuzberg. Tickets: €5
The Bite Club is not just a food market; it's a street food party. Enjoy regional and international delicacies while grooving to loungy beats from the sound system.
XJAZZ! presents: Nautilus
Sunday, 28.07, 8 pm. Privatclub, Skalitzer Str. 85-86, Kreuzberg. Tickets: €19.50
🎧 Nautilus, a Japanese band formed in 2014 by Toshiyuki Sasaki, revives jazz-funk with a modern twist, inspired by Bob James. Core members include Sasaki and bassist Shigeki Umezawa. They blend jazz covers with enka vocals and shamisen samples, creating unique, exciting music that defies clichés.
Germany-wide news
😥 Belarus sentences German medic to death
🏳️🌈 First Pride ever in AfD-run town (video)
🏗️ No upturn for construction sector
Factoid
Despite the drop in temps, the optimist in me feels we have a good two months of lake weather left. Berlin has plenty of swimmable bodies of water and water quality is decent, with a few exceptions. Water is tested every two weeks and the results are updated on this map. Avoid spots that aren’t green! Here’s Brandenburg’s water quality map. Clean spots are marked blue.
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🌟 Join the Summer Networking Fest at Birgit & Bier! 🌟
Ironhack and Expath invite you to an evening of networking and fun in Kreuzberg’s iconic Biergarten. Enjoy complimentary drinks, a live DJ set, and mingle with tech enthusiasts and professionals.
Highlights:
🍻 Free Drink for Early Birds
🎶 Live DJ
🤝 Great Networking
Why Attend? Meet like-minded professionals, explore opportunities in tech and language learning, and enjoy Berlin's vibrant atmosphere.
I have submitted citizenship on 2nd July but haven't heard back from the state except for payment confirmation... I guess I'll ask about it next week