The number of foreigners who became citizens of Germany has exceeded 300,000 for the first time in a year, with many Russians among them, reports the German newspaper Welt am Sonntag, citing statistical data from 14 of the 16 federal states for 2025. This is noted to be a record figure in 25 years. The count does not include data from Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Saxony-Anhalt. In 2024, according to AFP, a German citizenship passport was issued to 291,955 foreigners. Among those who most frequently underwent the naturalization process are immigrants from Syria, followed by those from Turkey. In third place are arrivals from the Russian Federation. The publication emphasizes that not all information has been collected yet, and the analysis is ongoing, but provides the example that in North Rhine-Westphalia, 3,841 individuals from Russia received German citizenship, which is 67.4% more than the previous year. Among the reasons for the increase are, firstly, the expiration of the term allowing those who arrived in Germany during the migration crisis of 2015-2016 to obtain citizenship. Secondly, the liberalization of legislation adopted by the previous government. At the same time, a number of conservatives in the current ruling coalition believe it is necessary to tighten the conditions for obtaining German citizenship. Although many cities and municipalities in Germany report a decrease in the number of new applications for naturalization, they are simultaneously preparing for another boom: in 2027, many Ukrainians will be able to obtain a German passport. This is due to the fact that the first wave of refugees who arrived after the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine will reach the required five-year residency period in the country, after which they can apply for citizenship.