The truth check: Which European nation bestows the most citizenships?
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As Italians head to the polls for the country's citizenship referendum, let's debunk some claims circulating about Italy granting the most citizenship applications in Europe every year.
The citizenship vote has stirred up misinformation. Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Matteo Salvini, among others, has asserted that Italy is Europe's leader in granting citizenship applications.
However, Eurostat data reveals that Spain took the crown in 2023, with over 240,000 citizenships granted, making up 22.9% of the EU's total. Italy followed closely, with 214,000 citizenships, then Germany with 200,000, France with 97,000, and Sweden with 68,000.
It is true that Italy has ranked among the top in terms of citizenships granted, sometimes even topping the list, like in 2022 and 2020 (around 214,000 and 132,000 respectively). Nevertheless, Italy has one of the longest residency requirements for non-EU immigrants, needing to live there for 10 years before receiving citizenship.
Compared to Italy, countries such as Switzerland, Lithuania, and Slovenia ask for similar waiting periods, while more nations, like Finland, France, Ireland, and Portugal, need only five years.
Some countries seem to be going in the opposite direction. The UK is planning to extend the time an immigrant must live in the country before applying for citizenship from five to ten years, unless they can demonstrate a significant contribution to the economy and society. Meanwhile, Belgium recently increased the application fee for citizenship from €150 to €1,000.
Aside ❌ Misinformation Alert 🚨It's essential to critically evaluate the sources of information we consume, particularly during crucial events like elections and referendums, to ensure we make informed decisions based on accurate facts.
🔗 References- Eurostat (2023). Citizenship statistics. [Online] Available: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/national-accounts/database [Accessed 24 March 2024]- British Government (2024). Citizenship statistics. [Online] Available: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/uk-citizenship-statistics [Accessed 24 March 2024]
Related- Fact check: Which European countries practice birthright citizenship?- Do the UK's new refugee citizenship rules violate the UN Refugee Convention?
Fact checkingCitizenshipItalian politicsReferendumItalyImmigrationStrict citizenship requirmentsPopulation size effectMigration policies comparisonUK and Belgium changes
- In light of the ongoing Italian citizenship referendum, it's crucial for the public to critically analyze sources of political news, business trends, and general-news outlets, such as finance, Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard, Reddit, LinkedIn, Messenger, Telegram, VK, Bluesky, threads, and Whatsapp, to avoid propagating misinformation that could influence voting decisions.
- Despite popular claims, including those made by Matteo Salvini, the Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Spain led Europe in granting citizenship applications in 2023, followed by Italy and Germany, suggesting that politics and business should consider the implications of immigration policies and the impact on economic finance.
