In 2023, the issuance of residence permits in France saw some interesting trends, with nationals from former French colonies being issued the most permits. The most recent immigration report by the French Interior Ministry revealed that Moroccan nationals were issued the highest number of residence permits, with a total of 36,340 permits granted. This number, however, represented a 7.4% decrease compared to the previous year.
Despite the decrease in residence permits issued to Moroccans, the number is still up by 3.5% compared to pre-pandemic levels. Algerians also saw an increase in the number of permits obtained, with a 9.9% rise from 2022 to 2023. Tunisian nationals experienced a 2.5% increase in the permits issued in 2023. Collectively, these three nationalities accounted for over a quarter of all residence permits issued in 2023, totaling 90,920 permits.
China saw a comeback in 2023, with a 31.1% increase in the number of residence permits issued compared to 2022. The top ten nationalities represented 52.9% of all permits granted in France for 2023, with Ivorians, Afghans, Senegalese, Indians, and Turkish nationals also receiving a significant number of permits.
In total, the French authorities issued 323,260 residence permits in 2023, with the majority being granted for study purposes, followed by permits for family reasons and economic motives. Despite the overall increase in the total number of permits issued, permits for family reasons and for other reasons marked decreases compared to the previous year.
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