Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the number of Irish citizens who will move to the UK as a result of the new route to British citizenship.

The route was created following a Private Members’ Bill introduced to the House of Commons by the Right Honourable Gavin Robinson MP on 6 December 2023. The new route reflects the unique historical and geographical position of Ireland, and existing Common Travel Area arrangements. The Act received Royal Assent on the 24 May 2024.

Irish citizens already enjoy settlement rights upon entry to the UK under the provisions of the Common Travel Area.

Irish nationals will not be subject to demonstrating Knowledge of Language and Life in the UK. Irish nationals also are already able to demonstrate the language requirement for naturalisation through being nationals of a majority English-speaking country. We recognise that the UK has a unique relationship with Ireland, and the close historical links, geographical proximity and shared experiences between the two countries mean that those in this group would already have a sufficient knowledge of language and life in the UK.

The Home Office receives approximately 300-400 applications per year from Irish citizens on existing routes.