Record Naturalizations in Germany Amid Intense Debate About Immigration Policy

Delegates of the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) political party arrive at the AfD party congress in Riesa, Germany, on Jan. 11, 2025. Sean Gallup/Getty ImagesGermany’s Federal Statistical Office said on June 3 the country naturalized 332,500 people in 2025, marking the fifth consecutive year the country broke its annual record for naturalizations.The figure represented a 14 percent increase from 2024, when 291,955 people were naturalized, itself a 46 percent rise over the previous year. Syrians and Turks are the two largest groups to have acquired citizenship.