The Unsettling Trend of British Citizenship Applications The latest figures from the University of Oxford's Migration Observatory show that 315,224 people applied for British citizenship in the year ending June 2026, a 17% increase over the previous year.
This surge has sparked concerns about its causes and implications. At first glance, the connection between Brexit and rising citizenship applications seems clear cut.
Since the UK's departure from the EU in 2020, applications have been on an upward trajectory. However, under Boris Johnson's government, the trend accelerated to such an extent that it earned the nickname "Boris wave.