Number of Turks granted German citizenship doubles: Data

BERLIN

The number of Turkish people acquiring German citizenship more than doubled in 2024 compared to the previous year, according to data released by Germany’s Federal Statistical Office (Destatis).

A total of 291,955 people were naturalized in Germany last year, marking a record high since the year 2000, when such statistics were first recorded, Destatis said in a statement.

Syrians topped the list of naturalized individuals with 83,150, followed by Turks with 22,525.

Iraqis, Russians and Afghans were next in line, the office said, pointing out the surge in Russian nationals obtaining citizenship. While only 1,995 Russians were naturalized in 2023, the figure rose sharply to nearly 13,000 last year.

The number of Turkish citizens acquiring German nationality more than doubled over the same period, the data showed.

Destatis attributed the sharp increase to the reformed citizenship law that came into effect in 2024. The new legislation, which facilitates the naturalization process and permits dual citizenship, entered into force on June 27, 2024.

Under the revised law, the required period of legal residence in Germany for naturalization was reduced from eight to five years. For individuals meeting certain integration criteria, this period can be shortened to as little as three years.

Children born in Germany can now automatically acquire German citizenship if at least one parent has legally resided in the country for a minimum of five years.

Additionally, the requirement for applicants to renounce their original citizenship was lifted, paving the way for dual nationality.

The Turkish diaspora widely welcomed the reform, viewing it as a major step toward strengthening the social and political inclusion of immigrants in Germany.