Austria’s Citizenship Law Restores Connection to Descendants of Nazi Victims
The amendment of Austria’s citizenship law in 2020 has once again proven to be a groundbreaking move, with a large number of descendants of Nazi victims being able to restore their connection to the country. The restoration of Austrian citizenship to this group of individuals was predominantly facilitated by Austria’s embassies, consulates, and cultural forums all over the world.
According to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Austria, Alexander Schallenberg, to date, more than 26,000 descendants of Nazi victims have regained their Austrian citizenship, expressing their desire to hold the country’s passport. Minister Schallenberg’s statements were made during the presentation of the new publication “Us and Austria – Austria and us”. The publication featured narratives from 15 descendants of victims of National Socialism, who, thanks to the changes made to the citizenship law, have successfully reclaimed their Austrian citizenship.
In an attempt to acknowledge its responsibility, Austria decided to permit descendants of Nazi victims to gain citizenship through a simplified procedure. Minister Schallenberg revealed that since the introduction of eased rules, a high number of eligible people had applied for citizenship. The same stressed that the number of applications is expected to increase, saying that this is a sign of their trust in Austria.
The Austrian missions abroad receive around 400 new citizenship inquiries per month. Minister further noted that one of the main goals of the country is to make this group of people feel connected to Austria. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Alexander Schallenberg, emphasized the importance of the amendment to the Citizenship Act, suggesting that it serves as a way for the descendants of victims of National Socialism to rebuild their connection to Austria.
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