Skyrocketing German Citizenships: A Record-Breaking Year
Increase in Number of Citizenship Grants Reaches All-Time Peak
Wiesbaden (dpa) - Germany witnessed a historic surge in naturalizations, with a whopping 291,955 foreign nationals becoming German citizens in 2024, according to preliminary reports by the Federal Statistical Office. This number eclipses all previous records since tracking began in 2000, with a staggering 46% increase compared to the previous year.
The Federal Office attributes this staggering rise to several key changes in the Law on the Modernization of Nationality Law, which came into effect in June 2024. This landmark legislation permits the retention of previous nationality and reduces the residency requirement to just five years, down from eight years. Exceptional academic or professional achievements can further reduce the residence period to a mere three years. Approximately 7% of the naturalizations in 2024 were granted due to these shorter residency requirements resulting from exceptional achievements [2].
Syrian Nationals Lead the Pack
A closer look at the naturalization data reveals that Syrian nationals accounted for more than a quarter (28%) of the new German citizens [5]. Turkey, Iraq, Russia, and Afghanistan trailed closely behind in that order. Remarkably, the number of Russian nationals naturalized skyrocketed by an astounding 551% in 2024, totaling 12,980 individuals [5].
The average period of residence in Germany prior to naturalization was 11.8 years in 2024, slightly longer than the 10.9 years seen in 2023. Syrians averaged 7.4 years, Turks 23.1 years, Russians 14.5 years, Iraqis 8.7 years, and Afghans 8.9 years [5]. It's worth noting that the naturalization rate, indicating the proportion of individuals from certain nationalities who were naturalized in 2024, was highest for Syrians (9%) and stateless persons (22%) [5].
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The increase in new German citizens can be largely attributed to the Citizenship Law Modernization Act, which lowered the residency requirement and started permitting dual citizenship among other changes. This legislation unleashed a flurry of applications, particularly from non-EU countries such as Syria, Turkey, and Russia. The surge in Syrian applicants accounted for 83,150 new German citizens in 2024 [5].These developments and the relaxed requirements for naturalization contributed to the record-breaking number of 291,955 new German citizens in 2024, marking a 46% increase from the previous year [1][5].
In light of the relaxed requirements for naturalization under the Citizenship Law Modernization Act, there has been a significant growth in the number of Syrian, Turkish, and Russian individuals seeking business opportunities and securing financing in Germany. This surge in applications, particularly from non-EU countries, has led to a record-breaking 291,955 new German citizens in 2024, signifying a 46% increase from the previous year.
