In relation to 2016, year in which the Brexit was voted, the number of Portuguese who acquired the British nationality practically doubled, from 672 in 2016, to 1,234 in 2017. In the first quarter of 2018, 616 Portuguese residents of the United Kingdom acquired the British nationality, almost as many as in the hole year of 2016. When analyzing the data available by quarter, there is a constant increased in the number of Portuguese who, since Brexit, have acquired the British nationality. This increase in the number of acquisitions of nationality seems to be mainly explained by the fears induced by Brexit and the reduction of rights associated with the status of foreigners that may result. 

Link https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-statistics-year-ending-march-2018-data-tables

Cite as Vidigal, Inês (2019), “Increases the number of British nationality acquisitions by Portuguese emigrants in the United Kingdom”, Observatório da Emigração. http://observatorioemigracao.pt/np4/6540.html