Surge in numbers of Brits in Germany applying for citizenship

For the more than 100,000 British nationals living in Germany, it’s time to consider applying for German citizenship.

The uncertainty of not knowing what the future holds once the UK leaves the European Union is driving an increasing number of Brit expats living in Germany to apply for German citizenship. Many others are counting the days until they are eligible to make an application. The expat community in Berlin is mostly made up of young freelancers scared they’ll need visas but won’t be able to get them and elderly Brits living on fixed incomes in rented flats.

According to a BBC News article, for many UK expats in Europe the practical decisions about passports and visas are leading to deeper questions over identity and what it means to those caught in a political nightmare not of their making. One forward-thinker, Esme, actually began the citizenship process a week before the Brexit referendum took place, taking the citizenship test, providing all required documentation and finally becoming a German citizen.

Speaking with the BBC, she described how she was surprised by her emotions at the citizenship ceremony. The event took place in her local town hall, with around 50 people from 22 different countries all receiving German citizenship. The mayor’s speech on the meaning of ‘homeland’ and her stressing of equality between human beings regardless of religion, ethnicity and origin brought tears to Esme’s eyes and she began sobbing in earnest when the European anthem was beautifully sung.

She explained her tears were for the millions of journeys made by immigrants in order to escape conflicts and the vast efforts made to create new, successful lives. Some of the other new citizens at Esme’s eventful day had learnt by heart the German constitution’s declaration of allegiance, quoting it word for word during the ceremony.

For Esme, this put he own Brexit-induced worries in perspective. A rational action brought about by insecurity had unexpectedly encouraged an examination of identity in at least one new citizen and may well become the experience of many more disenchanted Brits in Europe.

Feel free to have your say on this item. Go on... be the first!

• 
• 
• 
•