The number of people seeking citizenship jumped 70 percent in the first eight months of this year compared to all of 2008.
For the more than two-and-a-half-years from January 2007 through August this year, 91 people applied for citizenship through the High Court.
Virtually no one has been rejected, though one-third of the cases remain “pending.”
Of the 91 who have applied, 50 people have become naturalized citizens, receiving their Marshall Islands passports, while only two have been rejected.
The number of Asians applying for citizenship is increasing rapidly, court records show. In 2007, just two Asian applied. Last year the number increased to six and this year to date, there are already 10. Only one of the Asians who has applied has been denied by the courts.
The majority of those applying are from Kiribati or other islands in the Pacific. From January 2007 to August 2009, applications received by the High Court included 54 from Kiribati and other Pacific islands, 18 from Asians, 18 from Filipinos and one American.
