Germany granted citizenship to a record number of people last year, due largely to a jump in the number of Syrians who qualified for a passport after fleeing their country around a decade ago, the Federal Statistics Office said on Tuesday.
The newly naturalised Germans were on average 29.3 years old © Mena Today
Germany granted citizenship to a record number of people last year, due largely to a jump in the number of Syrians who qualified for a passport after fleeing their country around a decade ago, the Federal Statistics Office said on Tuesday.
Overall, some 200,100 foreigners were naturalised last year, a 19% rise from the previous year and the highest level since records started in 2000.
Around 38% of those people came from Syria, with Turkish and Iraqi citizens making up the next biggest group.
"The high number of naturalisations of Syrians is linked to the high influx of Syrian asylum seekers between 2014 and 2016 who are increasingly meeting naturalisation requirements, such as language skills and minimum residence time," said the Office.
In addition, spouses and minors can be naturalised without a minimum period of residence.
The newly naturalised Germans were on average 29.3 years old, compared to the average of 44.6 years old in the overall population.
Many economists argue that the integration of younger migrants in the workforce will help tackle the time-bomb of an ageing population in Europe's biggest economy.
Reporting by Madeline Chambers
Israelis will on Wednesday mark three years since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, triggering a military assault that destroyed much of Gaza, where conditions remain dire despite a year-old ceasefire that is meant to halt the war for good.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will travel to Ankara and Istanbul from October 21 to 23, his office said on Tuesday, in what will be the first dedicated bilateral visit to NATO ally Turkey by a Canadian leader.
Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon said “Three years ago, on October 7th, Hamas tried to break us. They did not.”
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