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Akbar Novruz

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Germany has emerged as the leading European destination for Israelis relocating abroad, following a record number of departures from Israel in 2024, according to OECD data, AzerNEWS reports.

The figures show that 82,700 people left Israel during the year, marking the highest annual level of emigration on record.

Analysts attribute Germany's growing appeal in part to its citizenship laws, which allow many descendants of Holocaust survivors to obtain German citizenship through simplified procedures.

According to reports, applications for German passports by eligible Israelis have increased despite continued concerns over antisemitism in Germany.

The statistics are clear: according to Germany's Interior Ministry, a total of 2,485 Israeli citizens were naturalized in Germany in 2021. By 2024, that number had increased to 4,275. Additionally, the German tabloid Bild noted that 202 Israeli citizens were granted German citizenship in Berlin alone in 2024, which is approximately three times the number from just a few years earlier.

Two legal provisions contribute to these figures. Under Article 116(2) of Germany's Basic Law, individuals who were stripped of their German citizenship between 1933 and 1945 are entitled to have it restored, and this right also extends to their descendants.

Since 2021, Section 15 of the Nationality Act has also been in effect. This section benefits those who never held German citizenship because, as victims of Nazi persecution, they were prevented from acquiring it initially. According to Germany's Federal Office of Administration, these claims are neither time-limited nor restricted to specific generations.

While most applications initially fell under the traditional Article 116(2) route, the new provision under Section 15 has now surpassed it. The Interior Ministry reported that 2,185 cases were processed under Section 15 in 2024.