Thousands of Jews worldwide are expected to apply for Austrian citizenship following an amendment to its citizenship laws which went into effect this week, JTA reported.

The amendment, adopted last year by the Austrian National Council, allows previous Austrian residents persecuted by the Nazis and their direct descendants to obtain Austrian citizenship while retaining their pre-existing citizenship, which is currently banned to others applying for Austrian citizenship.

The law applies to previous citizens of Austria and successor states of the former Austro-Hungarian monarchy, as well to stateless persons who maintained a primary residence in Austria but were forced to leave for safety reasons.

The amendment is “in line with Austria’s ongoing endeavor for reconciliation with all those who suffered under the totalitarian Nazi regime in Austria,” Austria’s U.S. Embassy said in a statement.

There has been much interest in the new law, according to Daniel Gros of Vienna, who is advising applicants in his position as a consultant with the Vienna law firm of Lansky, Ganzger + Partner. Gros said that he has been contacted by Jews from all over the world,  especially Jews from Israel, the United States and the United Kingdom.

Gros added that British Jews are especially eager to obtain Austrian citizenship in the wake of Brexit since it will allow them to maintain both British and EU passports, the latter which will enable them to easily travel throughout Europe.

If Ze’ev Maayan, a 33-year-old Israeli, obtains an Austrian passport, it will be his third passport due to his ancestry in various countries. He already has Portuguese and Hungarian passports.

“In Israel, obtaining foreign citizenship is like a national sport,” he said. “People want to have other options. It also upgrades you socially, and you can travel in certain countries without worrying.”

Maayan opened a Hebrew Facebook group for those interested in applying for Austrian citizenship and over 100 Israelis joined the group within days.

There are about 8,000 Jews currently living in Austria, with most in Vienna and some in Linz and Graz, the report said. In 1938, when Austria was annexed by Germany there were 192,000 Jewish residents, of whom three-quarters emigrated by December 1939. About 65,000 Austrian Jews met their deaths in the Holocaust.

“I believe this will completely change Jewish life in Austria,” said Gros, 33, who was born in Germany to a family from the former Yugoslavia. “Even if only a small percentage bring their families, a lot of things will change because we will have Jewish people from all over the world contributing to the community.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)