Germany granted citizenship to a record number of people, a total of 291,955, last year. That is a 46 percent increase from 2023, with Syrians making up the largest group of those granted German citizenship, according to data from the Federal Statistical Office.
Reforms to citizenship law contributed to the increase, the office said in a statement. Last June, Germany eased naturalization requirements from eight years to five and even to three years in special cases, Reuters reported.
Many Syrians who came as refugees in 2015-16 when former Chancellor Angela Merkel opened Germany's borders to hundreds of thousands fleeing war and persecution in the Middle East could receive citizenship in 2024.
As a result, Syrians make up the largest group of new citizens, accounting for 28% of all naturalizations, or 83,150 people. They are followed by Turks, Iraqis, Russians and Afghans.
The new citizenship law allows individuals to retain their original citizenship while also seeking German citizenship.