Jewish Families in U.K. Who Fled Nazi Germany Seek German Citizenship Before Brexit

Germany has seen a sharp increase in the number of Jewish families living in the United Kingdom applying for German citizenry, government figures show. These families hope to obtain EU citizenship before the Brexit deal finalizes in spring 2019.

Most of these requests come from families who fled to the U.K. from the Nazi regime. Under Article 116-2 of the German Constitution, any former Germans, as well as their descendants, who lost citizenry under Hitler’s regime may apply to have their citizenship reinstated. This article applies to targets of racial cleansing campaigns or political enemies of the Nazi regime.

Many Jewish refugees fled to the U.K. before, during, and after World War II to escape persecution. Approximately 10,000 were children, part of the Kindertransport, who would never see their parents or families again. Now, these refugees and their families want their citizenship back.

The number of Jewish families in the U.K. applying for German passports, using article 116-2 as the basis for their claim, has risen 1,500 percent since the Brexit referendum. The German state received 43 requests in 2015, 684 in 2016, and 1,667 in 2017, according to the German interior ministry. German acceptance of U.K. residents, which increased by 361 percent in 2016, is at an all-time high.

According to Konstantin Kuhle, interior affairs spokesman for the German Free Democrats Party, the numbers show that U.K. citizens are eager to cling to “the benefits of European citizenship.” Many U.K. citizens fear that the Brexit will be  etrimental to the ease of travel and trade afforded to them by EU citizenship. Kuhle further commented that the U.K. should be careful not to forget that “many people in the U.K. feel close to the EU.”

Other EU countries have also experienced a surge in applications for citizenry from the U.K., indicating a common desire among U.K. citizens to hold on to EU benefits before Brexit is finalized.