Unlock the White House Watch newsletter for free
Your guide to what the 2024 US election means for Washington and the world
Immigration and legal experts in Britain have noticed a recent trend. At the end of 2024, there was a record 40 per cent increase in the number of Americans applying for UK citizenship.
Applications by Americans trying to become UK citizens rose to about 1,700 in the final quarter of last year — totalling over 6,100 applicants in 2024, according to Home Office data. For context, these are the highest numbers since records began.
So what is behind this sudden interest in the UK? Speaking to the FT earlier this week, Elena Hinchin, partner at law firm Farrer & Co, pointed to the US political landscape under President Donald Trump, saying it was a serious driver of UK residency applications.
“We’ve definitely seen more interest in citizenship from the US since the lead-up to the election campaign,” she said. “There’s much more interest than under the previous Trump administration.”
There was also a “huge spike” in online searches for British citizenship the day after the US election in November, says Ono Okeregha, director at the law firm Immigration Advice Service, implying politics is a key driver for the increase.
But Madeleine Sumption, director of the Migration Observatory at Oxford university, argues that people typically have a range of often personal reasons for seeking citizenship in other countries. “For people moving from safe countries, politics tends to be a third or fourth order factor, not a key reason for moving on its own,” she said.
So what do you think is the driving force behind the recent rise in applications for UK citizenship? Tell us your views by voting in our poll or commenting below the line.
Source link
