Germany records highest peak of naturalization in 20 years

 

BERLIN – The German authorities granted naturalization to around 168,500 people last year, the highest number in 20 years, the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) reported on Tuesday.

The figure was 28% up on last year, according to preliminary figures. Figures from one of Germany’s 16 states were not yet available.

A total of 48,300 Syrians were naturalized, 29% of the total for 2022. They were on average 24.8 years old and had been resident in Germany for an average of 6.4 years.

Two thirds of them were male. Most of them were refugees who are increasingly fulfilling the requirements relating to language, the ability to secure their own livelihood and residence for a minimum of eight years.

The last condition does not apply to marriage partners or children. Some 15,400 Syrian family members were naturalized in 2022, almost three times the previous year’s number.

Around 5,600 Ukrainians were naturalized, almost three times the number in 2021. They were 36.1 years old on average and 69% of them were female. The naturalized Ukrainians had been in Germany for 13.3 years on average, Destatis said.

The 6,800 Iraqis naturalized had been 9.5 years in Germany on average. Turkish naturalizations topped 14,200, the second largest group by country of origin, after an average 24.2 years in the country.

Naturalization was granted to nationals from 171 different countries.