Multiple passport holders in Britain double in decade. What’s behind the surge?
The number of people holding multiple passports in Britain has doubled in a decade, according to official figures. The rise could partly be driven by Brexit as there were 1.26 million residents in England and Wales holding multiple passports in 2021 compared to 612,000 in 2011, according census figures by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
A Union Jack flag flutters in front of the Houses of Parliament in London, Britain.(Reuters)
The figures also showed a significant increase in the number of residents holding both British and EU citizenship as the number of people born in the UK holding British and EU passports increased by five times to 156,400 over the 10-year period. The number of dual UK-EU citizens among residents born outside of the UK saw a similar increase to around 147,000. The number of UK-born residents with both British and Irish passports increased by six times between 2011 and 2021.
Jay Lindop, from the ONS, said that the increase in the number of residents with dual citizenship “has been partly driven by migration over the decade, with an increase in people moving here from the EU”.
“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,” he said, adding that the rise “may also suggest greater uptake of additional passports following the end of free movement when the UK left the European Union”.
Britain left the European Union after voting in favour of Brexit in a 2016 referendum.
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