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A record number of citizenships given by Italy have accounted for a fifth of nearly one million new EU citizens in 2016, latest figures from EU statistics office Eurostat show.

Rome approved 201,600 citizenship requests in 2016, 23,600 more than those granted in 2015.

994,800 people obtained citizenship of a member state of the EU in 2016 up 18 percent from 2015.

Freedom of movement rules that EU citizens have the right to live and work in any of the bloc’s member states.

According to data from Eurostat, the statistical office of the bloc, people from Morocco made up the highest numbers, followed by citizens of Albania, India, Pakistan and Turkey.