das  Zuwanderungsgesetz

C1

Estimated CEFR level.

/tsuˈvandɐʊŋsɡəˌzɛts/

📜 What exactly is das Zuwanderungsgesetz?

Das Zuwanderungsgesetz (officially: Gesetz zur Steuerung und Begrenzung der Zuwanderung und zur Regelung des Aufenthalts und der Integration von Unionsbürgern und Ausländern - Act to Control and Limit Immigration and to Regulate the Residence and Integration of EU Citizens and Foreign Nationals) is a central law in Germany that governs the entry, residence, employment, and integration of foreigners.

It came into effect on January 1, 2005, bundling several previous laws, such as the Ausländergesetz (Foreigners Act) and the Asylverfahrensgesetz (Asylum Procedure Act). It establishes the legal framework under which people from other countries may come to Germany and live here. This includes regulations for various residence titles (e.g., Visum (visa), Aufenthaltserlaubnis (residence permit), Niederlassungserlaubnis (settlement permit)), rules for labour migration, family reunification, and asylum law.

As it refers to a specific law (Gesetz), its grammatical gender is neuter, taking the article das.

🧐 Grammar: Declension of 'das Zuwanderungsgesetz'

The word Zuwanderungsgesetz is a neuter noun. It is declined as follows:

Example Sentences 📝

• Das aktuelle Zuwanderungsgesetz wurde intensiv diskutiert.
  (The current Immigration Act was intensely debated.)
• Die Änderungen des Zuwanderungsgesetzes treten bald in Kraft.
  (The amendments to the Immigration Act will soon come into force.)
• Viele Regelungen sind im Zuwanderungsgesetz verankert.
  (Many regulations are anchored in the Immigration Act.)
• Die Regierung plant, das Zuwanderungsgesetz zu reformieren.
  (The government plans to reform the Immigration Act.)
• Es gab im Laufe der Jahre mehrere Zuwanderungsgesetze.
  (There have been several Immigration Acts over the years.)

🏛️ Usage and Context

The term Zuwanderungsgesetz is primarily used in political, legal, and media contexts when discussing legislation regarding the immigration and residence of foreigners in Germany.

• Political Debates: Discussions about changes, tightening, or easing of the law.
• Legal Scholarship: Analysis and interpretation of the law's paragraphs.
• Media Reporting: Informing the public about new regulations or effects of the law.
• Administration: Application of the law by immigration authorities (Ausländerbehörden) when issuing residence titles.

In everyday language, the term is less common unless specifically discussing political or legal topics. Often, people might refer more generally to Einwanderungsregeln (immigration rules) or Ausländerrecht (foreigners' law), although Zuwanderungsgesetz is the precise legal term for the specific act.

⚠️ Caution: Don't confuse it with broader terms like Einwanderungspolitik (immigration policy - the political strategy) or Integrationsgesetz (Integration Act - which specifically deals with integration measures, although parts are regulated within the Zuwanderungsgesetz).

🧠 Mnemonics

Article Mnemonic (das): Remember that Gesetz (law) is neuter: das Gesetz. Many compound words ending in -gesetz are neuter (das Grundgesetz - Basic Law, das Bürgerliche Gesetzbuch - Civil Code). Think of das (the) legal document or system (both concepts often associated with neuter in German).

Meaning Mnemonic: Break it down: Zu-wanderung (immigration, literally 'wandering towards') + Gesetz (law). It's the law (Gesetz) that rules who can 'wander to' (zuwandern) Germany.

🔄 Synonyms and Antonyms

Similar but Different Terms:

• Asylgesetz / Asylverfahrensgesetz (AsylG / AsylVfG): (Asylum Act / Asylum Procedure Act) Specifically regulates the procedure for asylum seekers (was separate, now partly integrated into or closely linked with residence law).
• Integrationsgesetz: (Integration Act) Focuses on measures for integrating immigrants.
• Staatsangehörigkeitsgesetz (StAG): (Nationality Act) Regulates the acquisition and loss of German citizenship.

😄 A Little Joke

Ein Tourist fragt den Beamten: "Ist es schwer, nach dem Zuwanderungsgesetz eine Aufenthaltserlaubnis zu bekommen?"
Antwortet der Beamte: "Nun ja, das Gesetz ist ziemlich dick. Allein das Durchlesen braucht schon eine Weile – das ist die erste Hürde!"

Translation:
A tourist asks the official: "Is it difficult to get a residence permit according to the Immigration Act?"
The official replies: "Well, the law itself is quite thick. Just reading through it takes a while – that's the first hurdle!"

📜 A Little Poem

Das Zuwanderungsgesetz, a weighty name,
It governs the entry, sets the game.
Paragraphs dense, a book so thick,
Who may come in, who must be quick.
It steers, limits, lays down the law,
For work, for family, without a flaw.
A framework often in hot debate,
How entry and staying seals one's fate.

(The poem describes the nature and function of the German Immigration Act.)

❓ Little Riddle

Ich bin ein Buch, doch selten gelesen zum Spaß.
Ich öffne Türen, doch manchmal auch nur einen Spalt, mit Bedacht.
Ich bestimme, wer neu ins Land kommen kann,
Und schaffe Regeln für Frau und für Mann.
Mein Name besteht aus zwei Teilen, klar und rein,
Es geht ums Kommen und ums Regelwerk sein.

Was bin ich?
(I am a book, but rarely read for fun.
I open doors, but sometimes just a crack, with care.
I determine who can newly come into the country,
And create rules for woman and for man.
My name consists of two parts, clear and pure,
It's about coming and about being the rules.)

➡️ Solution: Das Zuwanderungsgesetz (The Immigration Act)

🧩 More Information

Word Composition

The word Zuwanderungsgesetz is a compound noun, made up of:

• Die Zuwanderung: Meaning immigration (derived from zu (to/towards) + wandern (to wander/migrate)).
• Das Gesetz: Meaning law, act, statute.

Together, the meaning is: A law that regulates immigration.

Brief History

Das Zuwanderungsgesetz of 2005 was a significant step in modernizing and systematizing German immigration law. It replaced older laws and introduced new instruments, for example, to promote labor migration for highly skilled workers and to improve integration.