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'Form of Scalping' Criticism as Giving Up UK Citizenship Made More Expensive

The UK government is "cashing in on Brexit," according to a British politician and an MEP. Her assessment comes amid the hike up of fees for UK nationals, who want to renounce their British citizenship in favor of adopting a European or other nationality.
Sputnik

Liberal Democrat MEP Catherine Bearder has reacted to the increased price one would have to pay for relinquishing British citizenship, pointing out in her Twitter post that the UK Home Office is making money on Brexit: 

Fees for renunciation of British citizenship have been increased by the Home Office in April 2018, with the cost per a family of three reaching over £1,000.

Fees with effect from 6 April 2018 for citizenship applications and the right of abode

"Application to renounce British citizenship, British Overseas citizenship, British overseas territories citizenship, British subject, British protected person status or British National (Overseas)" now costs £372, according to the government.

The surge in fee costs received criticism online, with users pointing out it is the "only way the UK can make money on Brexit."

In 2016, the number of UK nationals acquiring citizenship of another EU member state more than doubled in 2016, according to the EU statistics agency Eurostat, with most new citizenships granted by Italy, Spain, the UK, France and Germany.

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