The German government approved legislation yesterday to reform the country's citizenship law with a measure it watered down after attacks from the conservative opposition.
Chancellor Gerhard Schroder's cabinet endorsed a bill making it easier for many of the seven million foreigners living in Germany - one in 10 of the population - to obtain German passports. The measure will be sent to parliament on Friday.
The centre-left government abandoned original plans, designed to foster integration, that would have allowed up to four million foreigners to obtain dual citizenship.
The Christian Democrats (CDU), voted out of office last September after 16 years in power, had launched a withering attack on Mr Schroder's first attempt to liberalise the citizenship laws which date back to the days of the Kaisers.