The UK said the number of residents in England and Wales with dual citizenship doubled in the decade through 2021, reflecting the impact of the split from the European Union and more young people entitled to hold two passports.
Census data from the Office for National Statistics showed 1.26 million people in England and Wales held multiple passports as of 2021, up from 612,000 in 2011. That included a fivefold increase in the number of UK-born residents with both a British and EU passport.
The figures add detail to the long-term demographic trends captured in the census and likely to shape the economy in the years ahead. It suggests those able to get a second passport from an EU nation jumped at the opportunity to retain the flexibility to travel and work in the bloc after Brexit.
Visits to the EU by British citizens are currently subject to a 90-day limit, but those with an EU passport can travel and work freely across the bloc.
Children and young people among most frequent dual-citizens
The spike was also driven by changing migration patterns, as the children of first generation immigrants registered for a British passport.
“As people who have settled in England and Wales go on to have children, we can see an increase in dual citizenship among the younger ages,” said Jay Lindop from the ONS.
The number of residents in England and Wales with UK-EU dual citizenship who were born outside of the UK also grew to 147,000 in 2021, up from 31,300 a decade earlier.
“This change has been partly driven by migration over the decade, with an increase in people moving here from the EU,” said Lindop.
The raw number of those with dual citizenship nevertheless remains “surprisingly small,” said Jonathan Portes, professor of economics and public policy at King’s College London.
“This is often the result of country rules,” he said. “For instance, there are lots of Indian-born people in the UK and most eventually get a passport, but India doesn’t allow dual nationality.”
About Andrew Andrew blogs and tweets public policy issues, particularly the relationship between the political and bureaucratic levels, citizenship and multiculturalism. His latest book, Policy Arrogance or Innocent Bias, recounts his experience as a senior public servant in this area.
About Andrew
Multicultural Meanderings 