The UK has been ranked among the top 10 easiest countries in Europe to gain citizenship in.
Despite voters wanting to take back control of British borders in 2016 and subsequent calls to curb net migration, the UK was the eighth easiest nation across the continent and third easiest in Western Europe to gain access to.
The research, conducted by Ottawa’s immigration agency CanadaCIS, studied the latest Eurostat immigration data from 2009 to 2021.
It found an average of 5.8 per cent of non-EU residents acquired citizenship.
An average of 5.8 per cent of non-EU residents acquired UK citizenship
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The figure was below Ireland at 6.5 per cent and the Netherlands at 7.1 per cent.
However, Germany’s average was the ninth lowest at just 1.8 per cent.
Sweden and Norway were the easiest places for non-EU migrants to gain citizenships, with Estonia and Latvia the hardest.
The data was revealed as Rishi Sunak continues to grapple with spiralling legal and illegal migration rates.
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The UK ranked eighth easiest among European countries
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Net migration into the UK was a record 745,000 last year, revised figures have shown.
The Government is hoping to curb legal migration through a number of measures, increasing the minimum earnings threshold for Skilled Worker visas from £26,200 to £38,700.
A staggering 29,437 migrants crossed the Channel in 2023, down from the 45,774 who made the perilous 21-mile journey the previous year.
Sunak is hoping to see off potential rebels to get through his Rwanda plan, with the Prime Minister hoping to get flights going ahead of the general election.
A Tory MP criticised Sunak over his handling of the migrant crisis.
Rishi Sunak is hoping to see off potential rebels to get through his Rwanda plan
PAThey told GB News: “It amounts to a further inducement to immigration.
“People coming here on temporary visas are doing so on the basis that they have a reasonable prospect of remaining permanently with full British citizenship. The Government must address the issue urgently.”
Bryan Brooks, Immigration Expert from CanadaCIS, added: “As well as having some of the strongest passports, Europe has among the highest quality of life indicators, including high career prospects, living conditions, and healthcare.
“Analysis reveals Central Europe is the most challenging region to get citizenship, with Northern and Western Europe the easiest.
“In nearly nine in 10 countries, the naturalization rate was higher for women. It could be that women are more eligible, likely to emigrate, or commonly carry the required skills to fill shortages.”
