Austria’s change of heart on citizenship for ‘Brexit victims’

On 13 September the Guardian published a letter from me under the headline “Fight for the right to Austrian citizenship”. Within days I had been contacted by over 40 people seeking dual Austrian nationality, disqualified either through having an Austrian mother (not father), or being a second or third descendant of this paternal line. Within a week, on 19 September, the Austrian parliament unanimously approved a substantive change. While my grandchildren consider this to be the direct consequence of my letter appearing in the Guardian, it may be more surprising that the Austrian embassy in London had no idea that any such radical amendment was in train. In summary:

Eligibility
– Austrian citizens, or citizens of one of the successor states of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy, or stateless persons … who left Austria before 15 May 1955, because they had suffered persecution by the Nazi regime or had reason to fear such persecution … those who had suffered persecution because of their support of democracy in Austria or had reason to fear such persecution.
– All direct descendants of those persons, including those … adopted as minors. It is not necessary that the ancestors themselves reclaimed Austrian citizenship.

Procedure
– Austrian citizenship will be granted in a simplified procedure, free of charge.
– Austria does not require applicants or recipients to renounce their current nationality
– From 1 September 2020, eligible individuals will be able to deposit a “notification” at an Austrian embassy, an Austrian consulate general or with the local Austrian authorities accompanied by necessary documentation, to initiate proceedings.

The online group we set up continues, and has gone global. On it questions are raised and answered concerning, for example, whether political persecution of the descendants’ grandparents or parents are sufficient qualification to apply, or if applications can be made without all identity documents (yes and yes) or whether only Jewish applicants qualify (no). Family histories are recounted and relevant research shared. It can be contacted on austrian-citizenship-jewish-descendants@googlegroups.com.

I wrote initially assuming that if I were ever able to apply, it would be as a victim of Nazism, albeit a second generation one. I now learn that prospective British dual citizenship applicants have a new name, awarded by the rightwing Austrian Freedom party (FPÖ) which supported the new law. It is that of “Brexit Öpfern” (Brexit victims). No one likes to be a victim but it’s instructive to learn how fellow Europeans, whatever their politics, have come to view us Brits.
Amanda Hopkinson
Norwich

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