The number of people who have decided to give up their UK citizenship has increased since the country decided to leave the EU, according to data obtained by the Independent. Figures show that the number of those renouncing UK citizenship increased by 30% in 2021 compared to 2020 and was six times more than a decade ago, following Brexit.
The Independent reveals that a total number of 868 people decided to give up their British passports in 2021, compared to 140 people ten years previously in 2011.
One of the main reasons is when someone wishes to take up another country’s citizenship that does not permit dual nationality, but the main reason is that Brexit has led to complications for UK nationals wanting to legally reside in an EU country.
This is because the majority of the EU Member States require foreigners only to hold the citizenship of one country. Experts note that most of the EU countries issue residency permits for UK passport holders, but in many of these, the permit does not allow them to enjoy full rights, such as voting, and for this reason, some choose to give up their UK passport.
Also, those who want to work in the EU often make the choice to give up their UK citizenship as an EU passport gives them more freedom to do so, with many applying for an Irish passport.
As well as the number of UK nationals living abroad, the number of EU citizens applying to be in the UK has also dropped significantly after Brexit.
The Office for National Statistics said that only around 43,000 EU citizens applied for work, family, or study visas in 2021, representing a massive decrease of 90% compared to the pre-Brexit times when up to 430,000 EU citizens reached the UK.
Moreover, they also highlighted that only around 5% of visas issued to citizens of the EU in 2021 were related to migration.
