Germany Moves to Strip New Citizen of Passport After Alleged Hamas Support

Berlin authorities have moved to revoke the citizenship of a newly naturalised German man after he allegedly praised Hamas on Instagram just one day after receiving his passport.

The man, originally from Syria and raised in Berlin, reportedly posted an image of Hamas fighters with the caption “Heroes of Palestine,” which officials say violates the declaration of loyalty to Germany’s constitutional values required under the country’s updated citizenship law.

Security agencies alerted the Berlin State Office for Immigration, which argues the man misled authorities during naturalisation. He was given four weeks to respond but did not, prompting officials to issue a withdrawal notice.

If confirmed, he will lose his citizenship and revert to foreign-national status, though he can still challenge the decision in court.

German officials, including the Federal Interior Minister and Berlin’s Governing Mayor, defended the move, asserting that support for Hamas, designated a terrorist group in Germany and the EU is incompatible with democratic principles.

Legal experts, however, note that stripping citizenship is an extreme measure and must meet strict judicial standards, meaning the case could set an important legal precedent.