European Union residence permits issued to third-country nationals including Morocco almost reached pre-pandemic levels in 2021.
Despite the health crisis linked to Covid-19, the number of first residence permits issued in the EU to third-country nationals including Morocco increased by 31% in 2021 compared to 2020, to reach 2,952,300, i.e. just under the 2,955,300 titles issued in 2019.
In detail, 1.3 million permits were issued for work and study in 2021. Poland issued 790,100 work-related residence permits, including 666,300 to Ukrainians, while France authorized many foreign students (90,600), including Moroccans, to gain access to its territory.
Moroccans, Brazilians and Colombians have also benefited from the first residence permits in Spain, Italy, Portugal and the Netherlands. These four states, in addition to Poland and France, accounted for around three-quarters of all permits issued in the EU in 2021.
