Brexit and ‘Boris-wave’ spark record surge in applications for British citizenship

Applications for British citizenship, which have been on the rise since Brexit, have surged to a record high, analysis of government figures shows.

In the year ending June 2026, 315,224 people applied to become British citizens, up 17 per cent on the previous year, research by the University of Oxford’s Migration Observatory found.

Citizenship applications have been on a steady rise since 2014, but have increased substantially since the UK left the EU in 2020. The surge in citizenship applications, as well as applications for settlement in the UK, comes after a record number of migrant workers arrived in the UK under Boris Johnson’s government.

The increase in foreign nationals coming to the UK, dubbed the ‘Boris-wave’ by right-wing commentators, started in 2020 and continued through to 2023, which was a record-breaking year for immigration to the UK.

Some 944,000 people were added to the UK population in the year to March 2023, with the influx driven by non-EU nationals arriving for work and study.

Labour is introducing reforms this autumn that will require foreign nationals to wait longer before they can apply for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) in the UK. Once someone has ILR, they can apply for British citizenship.

Home secretary Shabana Mahmood will double the time it takes to qualify for settlement from five to ten years, with further penalties imposed for refugees and those relying on benefits.

Under the plans, migrants will also be barred from claiming benefits until they become a British citizen.

Number of non-EU+ nationals coming to live in the UK long-term by reason, 2019-2025:

Although record numbers applied to become British, the number actually granted citizenship remained level with previous years, at 245,520 grants in the year ending July 2026. This is compared to 257,070 in the previous year.

However, this is still historically high. There has also been a significant jump in the number of EU citizens applying for British citizenship since October 2025 – a jump of 40 per cent over the course of the year, analysis by the University of Oxford’s Migration Observatory.

Nuni Jorgensen, researcher at the Observatory, said: “The higher number of people applying for citizenship partly reflects rising non-EU migration even before Brexit, as well as a gradual increase in the share of non-EU migrants choosing to become citizens since2021. Among EU citizens the increase is particularly sharp and suggests a more sudden change in people’s desire to become British.

“The data do not tell us why, although it is possible that government and opposition party debates about restricting rights or removing people without citizenship may have played a role. Research suggests that uncertainty can encourage migrants to secure their status by applying for citizenship.”