Administrative Court of Ansbach, Decision of September 6, 2023 – AN 14 K 21.895
Facts of the Case:
Plaintiff’s Naturalization Application Was Rejected Due to Lack of German Language Skills
The plaintiff had applied for naturalization. Along with the application, she submitted specialist medical certificates and requested an exemption under § 10 (6) StAG from the requirement to demonstrate sufficient German language skills and knowledge of the legal and social order. This request was denied with the explanation that the exemption under § 10 (6) StAG was not applicable because the required medical report did not meet the minimum standards. The plaintiff then sought to enforce her naturalization through legal action. For this, she applied for legal aid.
The Plaintiff Filed a Lawsuit and Sought Legal Aid for the Proceedings
By decision of September 6, 2023, the Administrative Court denied the legal aid application. The rejection was based on the fact that the intended legal action had no reasonable prospect of success. An exemption from the requirements of § 10 (1) Sentence 1 Nos. 6 and 7 StAG under § 10 (6) StAG was not applicable in this case. The specialist medical reports submitted by the plaintiff did not meet the minimum content requirements and were therefore not sufficient to substantiate the plaintiff’s claim that she was prevented from acquiring the required or sufficient knowledge of the German language due to illness.
The Court Rejected the Legal Aid Application Due to Allegedly Inadequate Medical Certificates
In the absence of a conclusive medical certificate, the court had no reason to further investigate the facts ex officio or to obtain an expert opinion. Since further evidence collection on the factual requirements of § 10 (6) StAG was not necessary, the outcome of the case could not be considered uncertain.
The Plaintiff Filed an Appeal Against This Decision
Decision of the Administrative Court of Ansbach
The Administrative Court Grants the Plaintiff Legal Aid
The Administrative Court of Ansbach decided differently and ruled that the lawsuit had a reasonable prospect of success under § 114 (1) Sentence 1 ZPO.
For this, a certain probability was sufficient, which would already be given if a favorable outcome was as likely as an unfavorable one. In the present case, there was at least a certain probability that the plaintiff could have a claim to naturalization under § 10 StAG. Although she had not proven that she had sufficient knowledge of the German language according to § 10 (1) Sentence 1 Nos. 6 and 7 StAG, nor had knowledge of the legal and social order and the living conditions in Germany, it remained open whether these requirements could be waived under § 10 (6) StAG because she could not fulfill them due to illness.
There Was at Least Some Probability That the Plaintiff Might Win
It remained open whether the plaintiff could not meet the naturalization requirements under § 10 (1) Sentence 1 Nos. 6 and 7 StAG due to the illness described in the submitted certificates, and therefore these requirements could be waived under § 10 (6) StAG.
Based on the plaintiff’s previous statements, it could not be ruled out that she might substantiate her claims in the main proceedings according to her procedural duty to cooperate (§ 37 (1) StAG in conjunction with § 82 (1) AufenthG). She could explain on what basis the treating specialists made their diagnosis and how the illness manifested in her specific case. According to the case law applied by the Administrative Court, this could include details such as when and how often the patient received medical treatment, what type of diagnostic examinations were conducted, and whether the symptoms reported by the patient were confirmed by the findings. Additionally, the certificate should provide information about the severity of the illness, its need for treatment, and the course of treatment (medication and therapy).
Although the Certificates Were Indeed Incomplete, the Plaintiff Could Provide Additional Information
The certificates from the psychiatrist and psychotherapist T.M. dated September 13, 2016, November 9, 2016, and May 9, 2017, indicated that the plaintiff had presented herself several times in the specialist’s practice, starting from May 24, 2012, and at least until May 2017. The psychiatrist based his psychopathological findings on the anamnesis conducted in conversation with the plaintiff and on behavioral observations in the practice. Among other things, severe drive reduction and significant concentration disorders were noted. Based on these findings, severe illness-related impairments (cognitive limitations) were assumed, making it impossible for the plaintiff to participate in the examinations required for naturalization. Due to the severe cognitive impairments, the acquisition of a foreign language was severely impaired; self-study or attendance at a VHS course appeared hopeless, and participation in a test was deemed pointless from the outset. The diagnosis was a recurrent depressive disorder (severe episode at the time) and a dysthymic disorder. Intensive pharmacotherapeutic treatment was necessary from a psychiatric perspective; inpatient clinic treatment should be considered.
It remained open whether the Administrative Court could, based on the specialist medical certificates and possibly additional fact-finding, conclude that the plaintiff could not acquire and demonstrate the knowledge required under § 10 (1) Sentence 1 Nos. 6 and 7 StAG due to health reasons. The previous specialist findings and assessments provided certain indications of a possible illness-related inability of the plaintiff to acquire and demonstrate sufficient knowledge according to § 10 (1) Sentence 1 Nos. 6 and 7 StAG. However, the certificates submitted so far did not contain all the necessary information regarding the basis of the diagnosis and the plaintiff’s illness; the statements were too brief and incomplete (e.g., regarding the frequency of examinations by Dr. T.M.; findings regarding depressive illness by Dr. H. M. and Dr. K. Z.; development of the clinical picture and therapy during the course of treatment, type and extent of possible effects of the illness on the ability to acquire the required knowledge).
As a result, since there was at least some probability that the applicant might succeed, the plaintiff was granted legal aid.
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