Table 13: Naturalizations (2000-2015)240 Year Stateless Unknown Under investigation Total, all nationalities 2000 979 890 361 43,474 2001 941 717 36,399 2002 814 532 37,392 2003 655 1,270 33,222 2004 639 281 28,893 2005 788 314 39,573 2006 1,171 636 51,239 2007 1,156 2,517 33,629 2008 1,131 2,248 30,461 2009 963 2,071 29,525 2010 1,133 1,492 32,457 2011 1,517 2,258 36,634 2012 1,450 1,427 50,179 2013 2,005 720 50,167 2014 1,711 491 43,510 2015 3,264 797 48,249 Total 17,053 17,864 361 576,754 During the years 2000 to 2015, a total of 576,754 persons were naturalized, out of whom 3 per cent were formerly stateless. Interestingly, a slightly larger number (3.1 per cent) consists of persons of formerly “unknown” nationality, despite the requirement to make one’s claimed identity probable. Since the year 2000, no persons whose previous nationality had been recorded as being “under investigation” have been granted Swedish nationality. With regard to stateless persons, the figures have remained on the level of around 800 to 1,200 persons per year in most years, except for a decrease in 2003-2005 and a gradual increase from 2010 to 2015, when a record number of 3,264 stateless persons naturalized. It would be interesting to examine if this increase was due to the amendments that entered into force in April 2015, namely the provisions emphasizing the symbolic value of citizenship and the introduction of ceremonies for those who have recently acquired Swedish citizenship. The number of naturalizations of persons with “unknown” nationality has varied from 281 in 2004 to 2,517 in 2007. While the number of naturalizations of persons with “unknown” nationality generally remained under 1,000 per year until 2006, 2007 to 2012 saw a large increase in the number of persons with “unknown” nationality being naturalised. Since then numbers have been decreasing. This peak is probably related to the sharp increase of persons with “unknown” nationality recorded as residing in Sweden in 2006, as indicated in Table 1 in Section 2.2.2.1 above, as a result of the dissolution of the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro. Comparing the data in Table 1 in Section 2.2.2.1 and Table 13 above shows that between 9 and 20 per cent of the stateless persons registered in Sweden obtained citizenship through naturalization during the years 2000 to 2015. While this calculation is not exact, as the changes in Table 1 can also be due to other factors, such as citizenship by notification, departures from the country and deaths, it is a rough estimate. Given the State’s emphasis on Swedish citizenship as a symbol of belonging and ties with Sweden, and the commitment expressed in several Government Bills to prevent statelessness among children, it is recommended to analyse further the reasons behind the relatively low number of acquisitions of Swedish citizenship in relation to the number of stateless persons residing on the territory of Sweden. In this context, it is recommended to also review the implications on notifications and naturalizations of the changes recently introduced to the duration of residence permits granted to beneficiaries of international protection. 240 Statistics Sweden, 2016, available at: www.statistikdatabasen.scb.se, and email from Statistics Sweden, 29 September 2016. UNHCR STOCKHOLM, 2016 71