Between January and June 2012, Finnish citizenship was granted to 4,554 persons, 4,086 of whom were granted citizenship by application and 468 by declaration. The number more than doubled compared to the same period last year when 2,220 persons were granted Finnish citizenship.

Also the number of citizenship applications and declarations grew significantly during the first half of the year, the number of applications by 42 per cent and the number of declarations by 77 per cent. According to the Finnish Immigration Service, the increase is largely due to the amendment of the Finnish Nationality Act in 2011. As a result of the amendment, the period of residence in Finland required for naturalisation was shortened from six years to five and former Finnish citizens were given a right to reacquire their Finnish citizenship by declaration without having to move back to Finland.

See a report in English on yle.fi and in Finnish on verkkouutiset.fi.