"Impending Brexit has led to record number of Britons naturalized as German citizens… As in the previous year, a marked increase was especially recorded in the number of Britons who were naturalized as German citizens. While in 2015 only 622 British citizens acquired German citizenship, that number amounted to not less than 2,865 in 2016 (+361% on a year earlier) and finally to 7,493 in 2017 (+162% on the previous year) — another record high after 2016," the statement read.
According to Destatis, about 112,000 foreigners received German passports in 2017, which is the highest number since 2013.
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On June 23, 2016, the United Kingdom voted in a referendum to leave the European Union. In March 2017, UK Prime Minister Theresa May officially invoked Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, launching the process of the country's withdrawal from the 28-nation bloc. The Brexit negotiations between London and Brussels should be completed by the end of March 2019.
