In financial year 2019-2020, a record number of 204,817 people were conferred Australian citizenship, an increase of over 60 per cent from the previous financial year, where 127,674 people were conferred Australian citizenship in 2018-2019.
In light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Government has conferred citizenship to more than 60,000 people through online ceremonies, while small in-person ceremonies have also resumed since 03 June 2020. The top nationalities of people who were conferred citizenship are India (38,209), United Kingdom (25,011) and China (14,764).
Hon Alan Tudge MP, Acting Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs said, “When someone becomes a citizen, they make a pledge to uphold Australia’s rights, liberties, laws and democratic values. It represents a willingness to integrate into our successful multicultural nation…Being an Australian citizen is an immense privilege, which brings both rights and responsibilities. I congratulate all those who have taken this important step.”
According to the Department of Home Affairs, more than 5 million people have become Australian citizens since the introduction of concept citizenship in Australia in 1949 vide the erstwhile Nationality and Citizenship Act 1948 (Cth).
