Berlin —Germany granted citizenship to more people in 2024 than ever before. Nearly 292,000 individuals received German nationality, marking a 46 percent jump from the year before. The largest share by far went to Syrians.
New figures from the Federal Statistics Office, released on Tuesday, show that 83,150 Syrians became citizens last year, accounting for 28 percent of all naturalisations. That’s up more than ten percent from 2023.
Most of them arrived nearly a decade ago, when Germany opened its borders during the height of the Syrian refugee crisis. Many have since settled, learned German, found work, and started families.
“We’ve built our lives here,” said Fadi Al-Zaher, a 34-year-old Damascus native who now works as a schoolteacher in Frankfurt. “This country gave us safety. Becoming a citizen makes me feel like I truly belong.”
Changes to Germany’s naturalisation law, which took effect last June, helped fuel the surge. The country shortened the required residency period for citizenship from eight years to five or even three for those who show exceptional integration, such as high language proficiency or civic engagement.
The revised law also allows most new citizens to keep their original nationality a long-standing concern, particularly among Turkish and Arab communities in Germany. This provision unlocked access to citizenship for many who had hesitated to apply.
For Turkish nationals, who form one of Germany’s largest immigrant communities, the change was especially significant. More than 22,500 Turks became German citizens in 2024 more than double the previous year’s figure.
The data also shows notable increases among Iraqis (15,445), Russians (12,980), and Afghans (9,300). Russians saw the most dramatic percentage rise a sixfold increase compared to 2023.
But not everyone is pleased.
Germany’s new coalition government made up of conservatives and Social Democrats has already signalled its intent to scale back parts of the law. They want to restore a longer minimum residency period, citing concerns that shorter paths to citizenship may weaken public trust and fuel anti-immigrant sentiment.
“Citizenship should be a final step, not an early reward,” said Friedrich Merz, leader of the Christian Democratic Union, in a recent statement. “Integration takes time. We must not rush it.”
Supporters of the reforms argue the opposite that inclusion drives integration, not the other way around.
“Waiting ten years or more to become part of society creates distance, not unity,” said Dr. Annalena Reitz, a migration policy researcher at the Berlin Institute for Population and Development. “Citizenship is a bridge, not a prize.”
Germany is home to nearly 13 million foreign nationals, many of whom have lived in the country for decades. Still, the country has historically been cautious about granting citizenship, with restrictive laws and long wait times compared to other EU nations.
Now, with pressure mounting both from within and beyond its borders Germany faces a political balancing act: honouring the contributions of long-term residents while responding to a shifting public mood.
For many like Al-Zaher, however, the moment is personal.
“I’ve waited years for this,” he said, holding up his new passport. “Now I can vote, travel, and feel like part of the future.”
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