Record number of Americans seeking UK residency, says Home Office
-Nearly 2,000 applications for British citizenship submitted since January, when Donald Trump took office

英國(guó)內(nèi)政部表示,申請(qǐng)英國(guó)居留權(quán)的美國(guó)人數(shù)量創(chuàng)下紀(jì)錄
——自今年1月唐納德·特朗普上任以來(lái),近2000份英國(guó)公民申請(qǐng)被提交


(Big Ben and the House of Commons in London.)

(倫敦的大本鐘和下議院。)

新聞:
During the 12 months leading up to March, more than 6,000 US citizens have applied to either become British subjects or to live and work in the country indefinitely – the highest number since comparable records began in 2004, according to data released on Thursday by the UK’s Home Office.

英國(guó)內(nèi)政部周四公布的數(shù)據(jù)顯示,在截至今年3月的12個(gè)月里,已有逾6000名美國(guó)公民申請(qǐng)成為英國(guó)公民,或在英國(guó)無(wú)限期生活和工作——這是自2004年有可比記錄以來(lái)的最高數(shù)字。

Over the period, 6,618 Americans applied for British citizenship – with more than 1,900 of the applications received between January and March, most of which has been during the beginning of Donald Trump’s second US presidency.

在此期間,6618名美國(guó)人申請(qǐng)了英國(guó)公民身份,其中1900多份申請(qǐng)是在1月至3月間收到的,其中大部分是在唐納德·特朗普第二任總統(tǒng)任期開(kāi)始期間收到的。

The surge in applications at the start of 2025 made that the highest number for any quarter on record.

2025年初申請(qǐng)人數(shù)的激增,使這一數(shù)字達(dá)到了有記錄以來(lái)的最高水平。

The figures come as British authorities under a Labour government are trying to reduce immigration to the UK, with Britain’s prime minister, Keir Starmer, vowing to take “back control of our borders” and warning that uncontrolled immigration could result in the country “becoming an island of strangers, not a nation that walks forward together”.

這些數(shù)據(jù)公布之際,工黨政府領(lǐng)導(dǎo)下的英國(guó)當(dāng)局正試圖減少進(jìn)入英國(guó)的移民,英國(guó)首相斯塔默誓言要“重新控制我們的邊境”,并警告稱,不受控制的移民可能導(dǎo)致英國(guó)“成為一個(gè)陌生人的島嶼,而不是一個(gè)共同前進(jìn)的國(guó)家”。

UK figures show net migration dropped by almost half in 2024 – to 431,000 – compared with 2023.

英國(guó)數(shù)據(jù)顯示,與2023年相比,2024年的凈移民人數(shù)減少了近一半,降至43.1萬(wàn)人。

The surge in US applications for UK residency comes as American immigration lawyers say they are receiving an increasing number of inquiries. Some are pointing to the polarized political climate in the Trump-led country, which itself is mounting an aggressive immigration-related crackdown.

美國(guó)人申請(qǐng)英國(guó)居留權(quán)的人數(shù)激增之際,美國(guó)移民律師表示,他們收到的咨詢?cè)絹?lái)越多。一些人指出,特朗普領(lǐng)導(dǎo)的國(guó)家的政治氣候兩極分化,該國(guó)本身也在進(jìn)行積極的移民相關(guān)打擊。

Muhunthan Paramesvaran, an immigration lawyer at Wilsons Solicitors in London, told the New York Times that inquiries had risen “in the immediate aftermath of the election and the various pronouncements that were made”.

倫敦威爾遜律師事務(wù)所的移民律師穆漢森·帕拉梅斯瓦蘭告訴《紐約時(shí)報(bào)》,“在大選和各種聲明發(fā)表后不久”,移民咨詢就增加了。

“There’s definitely been an uptick in inquiries from US nationals,” Paramesvaran told the outlet. “People who were already here may have been thinking: ‘I want the option of dual citizenship in the event that I don’t want to go back to the US.’”

帕拉梅斯瓦蘭告訴媒體:“美國(guó)公民的咨詢肯定有所增加。已經(jīng)在這里的人可能一直在想:‘如果我不想回美國(guó),我希望有雙重國(guó)籍的選擇?!?br />
Zeena Luchowa, a partner at Laura Devine Immigration, which specializes in US migration to the UK, was more explicit in pointing to the “political landscape” amid Trump’s government. Luchowa told the outlet that the rise was not limited to US nationals – but also other nationalities living there.

勞拉·迪瓦恩移民事務(wù)所的合伙人齊娜·盧霍瓦更明確地指出了特朗普政府的“政治格局”。該事務(wù)所專門(mén)處理美國(guó)移民到英國(guó)的問(wèn)題。盧霍瓦告訴媒體,這一增長(zhǎng)不僅限于美國(guó)公民,也包括居住在那里的其他國(guó)家的公民。

“The queries we’re seeing are not necessarily about British citizenship – it’s more about seeking to relocate,” Luchowa said to the Times.

盧霍瓦對(duì)《泰晤士報(bào)》說(shuō):“我們看到的問(wèn)題不一定是關(guān)于英國(guó)國(guó)籍的,更多的是關(guān)于尋求搬遷的。”

However, the increase in US applications to the UK may not necessarily reflect political conditions in either country. Of the 5,521 settlement applications from US citizens last year, most were from people who were eligible via spousal or family lixs.

然而,美國(guó)人申請(qǐng)移居英國(guó)的人數(shù)增加,可能并不一定反映兩國(guó)的政治狀況。在去年5521份來(lái)自美國(guó)公民的定居申請(qǐng)中,大多數(shù)來(lái)自通過(guò)配偶或家庭關(guān)系獲得資格的人。

Paramesvaran said such applications were likely to climb because the UK government had extended the qualification period from five years to 10 before they could apply for settlement. But Labour government politicians have hinted that some applicants may be able to skirt those requirements.

帕拉梅斯瓦蘭表示,這類(lèi)申請(qǐng)可能會(huì)增加,因?yàn)橛?guó)政府已將申請(qǐng)定居的資格期限從5年延長(zhǎng)至10年。但工黨政府的政客們暗示,一些申請(qǐng)者或許可以避開(kāi)這些要求。

That echoes one aspect of Trump’s thinking in the US, where he has floated the idea of an immigration “gold card” – in essence, an extension of the EB-5 program that extends green cards to foreign investors and their families.

這與特朗普在美國(guó)的想法的一個(gè)方面相呼應(yīng),他在美國(guó)提出了移民“金卡”的想法——本質(zhì)上是EB-5計(jì)劃的延伸,將綠卡擴(kuò)展到外國(guó)投資者及其家人。

The UK home secretary, Yvette Cooper, told parliament earlier in May that “there will be provisions to qualify more swiftly that take account of the contribution people have made” and said the British government “will introduce new, higher language requirements” because “the ability to speak English is integral to everyone’s ability to contribute and integrate”.

英國(guó)內(nèi)政大臣伊維特·庫(kù)珀在5月早些時(shí)候告訴議會(huì),“考慮到申請(qǐng)人做出的貢獻(xiàn),將會(huì)有更快地獲得資格的規(guī)定”,并表示英國(guó)政府“將引入新的、更高的語(yǔ)言要求”,因?yàn)椤皶?huì)說(shuō)英語(yǔ)是每個(gè)人貢獻(xiàn)和融入社會(huì)的能力不可或缺的一部分”。