The number of British citizens were awarded citzenship of European countries soared in 2017 as Brexit approached. The highest number chose to have German passports, with France in second place.

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The number of British citizens given German nationality hit 7,493 in 2017, up from 2,865 in 2016 and 12 times as many as in 2015, Le Monde newspaper reports.

If Britons there wish to have dual nationality there they have to hurry - Germany only allows citizens of EU countries and Switzerland to have two passports.

The total number of citizenship applications granted to Britons in the 13 countries in the EU's Schengen accord group has risen six times since the UK voted to leave the EU - going from 2,600 in 2015 to 6,500 in 2016 and hitting 15,000 in 2017.

France comes second in the league table with 1,518 naturalisations in 2017, just ahead of Belgium wioth 1,381 and the Netherlands with 1,241.

Per head of population, Le Monde reports, tiny Luxembourg is the most generous, granting citizenship to 61 people per 100,000, but then its total population is only 590,667.

Ireland has granted citizenship to 529 British nationals, a substantial rise on the 61 between 2010 and 2015.

Figures for 2018 may well be even higher in all the countries concerned.

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