The number of Britons becoming German citizens rose by 361% in 2016, amid concerns that Brexit could make it more difficult for British people to live and work in the EU.
Germany’s federal statistics office said 2,865 Britons took German citizenship last year. The number is likely to be far greater again this year as it takes several months to obtain a German passport.
“The link to Brexit seems clear,” the statistics office said.
A total of 110,400 foreigners took up German citizenship last year, a 2.9% rise on the previous year, with the biggest rate of increase among Britons.
The largest group of people taking up German citizenship came from Turkey, although the total of 16,290 was down 17.3% from last year. Another 6,632 Poles became Germans in 2016, an increase of 11.3%.