According to Statistics Austria, the number of naturalizations in Austria increased by more than 60 percent in the first half of 2022 compared to the same period last year. The sharp increase was mainly due to the naturalization of Nazi victims and their descendants, which accounted for nearly 30 percent of newly naturalized persons in the first half of the year. There were fewer naturalizations in Vienna and Upper Austria than in 2019.
Austrian citizenship was granted to 8,158 people in the first six months, including 2,417 who lived abroad (29.6 percent). According to Statistics Austria, there were not only 61.3 percent more naturalizations than in the first half of 2021 (5057 naturalizations), but also 52.5 percent more than in the same period before the start of the corona pandemic, the first half of 2019 (5349 naturalizations).
Those who were politically persecuted by the Nazi regime and, since 2020, also their descendants, have the option of naturalization without giving up their previous citizenship. In the first half of 2022, 2,421 people (of whom 2,396 live abroad) were granted Austrian citizenship under this provision, which corresponds to 29.7 percent of all naturalizations in this half-year.
People naturalized under this title are most likely to be nationals of the following three countries: Israel (939 or 11.5 percent of all naturalized in the first half of 2022), the United States (546 or 6.7 percent) and the United Kingdom (525 or 6.4 percent).
Fourth of newly naturalized persons born in Austria
Those who were naturalized for other reasons (5,737 people in total) were previously most often citizens of Turkey (603 or 7.4 percent), Syria (531 or 6.5 percent) and Bosnia and Herzegovina (469 or 5.7 percent) . Half of the naturalizations in the first half of 2022 were women (50.3 percent), about a third were minors under the age of 18 (31.9 percent). Almost a quarter of newly naturalized persons were born in Austria (1923 or 23.6 percent).
Fewer naturalizations in Vienna and Upper Austria
In all federal states, more people were naturalized in the first half of 2022 than in the same period of the previous year. Relative increases were highest in Vorarlberg (up 59.7 percent to 313 naturalizations), followed by Vienna (up 43 percent to 2265) and Styria (up 38.0 percent to 487). Also compared to the first half of 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic, there were more naturalizations in seven states, led by Carinthia (plus 81.5 percent to 265 naturalizations). Only in Vienna (down 3.5 percent to 2265) and Upper Austria (down 1.2 percent to 757) were there fewer naturalizations than in 2019.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
