Germany naturalizes over 50,000 victims of Nazi-era persecution since 2021

Since the 2021 amendment of Germany’s citizenship law (Article 116), more than 50,000 people whose German nationality was revoked or denied under Nazi persecution have been granted citizenship. Between early 2021 and March 2024 the Federal Office of Administration received 101,180 restitution naturalisation applications, of which 52,180 were approved and only a handful rejected.

The reform broadened eligibility to include Jews and other persecuted groups, descendants of those who lost nationality, children of German mothers who lost citizenship through marriage, and children of unmarried German fathers. Applicants are exempt from language tests and several standard naturalisation requirements.

Application volumes have risen sharply, with over 14,000 requests filed in 2024 and roughly 15,500 in 2025 under the new rules, compared with about 10,500 in 2022. Most requests originate abroad, notably from Israel and the United Kingdom. The government says the low rejection rate demonstrates that the 2021 law “fully addresses the interests of the affected persons.”