Overview
- The federal government reported on Friday that between early 2021 and the end of March 2026 the Bundesverwaltungsamt received 101,180 applications for Wiedergutmachungseinbürgerung and granted citizenship to 52,180 people.
- Rejections have been rare, which officials say points to the law’s broad eligibility and to long processing times that leave many applicants waiting for decisions.
- Application volumes rose sharply in 2024 and 2025 with more than 14,000 and about 15,500 filings in those years respectively, and roughly 5,900 applications were lodged in the first three months of 2026.
- The statistics cover claims filed from abroad that the Bundesverwaltungsamt handles, with significant numbers coming from Israel and the United Kingdom and commentators citing Brexit as a factor for some applicants.
- While the 2021 law waived ordinary hurdles such as German language tests, applicants still face heavy documentary, translation and certification burdens and lawmakers including Ferat Koçak are urging the agency to add staff and simplify procedures to cut the backlog.