Young Brits in Germany May Be Offered Dual Citizenship After Brexit Vote

Germany may offer a well-needed lifeline to young expats, who voted to remain in the EU, by giving them dual nationality.

The German Vice Chancellor has called for young Brits living in Germany and other EU countries to be considered for dual citizenship after the Brexit vote, after most of them voted to remain in the bloc during the referendum. The German economy minister has said that they should be offered the opportunity of acquiring German citizenship. 

"Let us offer this to young Brits who live in Germany, Italy or France, so that they could remain European Union citizens," German Vice Chancellor and Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel said at a meeting with the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

This has followed a surge in Brits applying for EU passports in Brussels, as well as those living in Ireland also requesting to have dual nationality.

Germany may offer young Brits dual nationality in order that they may remain as European. UK shrinking by the day..

— david bush (@Davidbush) 3 July 2016

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Gabriel added that the SDP has now accepted the UK's decision to leave the EU, as well as the option of offering young Brits dual nationality.

Under current nationality law, non-EU and non-Swiss citizens applying for German citizenship usually have to renounce their old citizenship, however this would not be the case given that many of the young British people living in Germany voted to remain in the EU.

#Germany EconMin Gabriel says wants to offer young Brits German citizenship. | ← I find this a rather bad idea which will increase tensions.

— Yannis Koutsomitis (@YanniKouts) 2 July 2016

​"[Young British people] knew better than those snobs from the British elite that their future was at stake… [we] shouldn't just pull up the drawbridge in front of them," Gabriel said.

However, regardless of the announcement, more Brits have started to apply for German citizenship, being ready to renounce their old one.

@PrisonUK @g_m_hodgson Wonderful offer of dual nationality by Germany. Everyone who wants to shld be encouraged to bite their hand off.

— Littlebird (@Lillbirdtoldme) 3 July 2016

​The comments by the SDP were echoed by Germany's opposition Green Party, who agreed that the laws should be relaxed for young Brits in Germany.

Rebecca Harms, leader of the Green Party, said that the government should consider offering right of residence or citizenship and that they should relax the eight-year-rule, which means that non-EU residents are normally required to live in Germany for that period of time before they become a citizen.