Residence permits for non-EU citizens – First residence permits issued in the EU Member States remain above 3 million in 2017 – Main beneficiaries from Ukraine and Syria
In 2017, about 3.1 million first residence permits were issued in the European Union (EU) to non-EU citizens. The number increased almost by 4% (or 112 000) compared with 2016. Employment reasons accounted for almost one-third (32%) of all first residence permits issued in the EU in 2017, family reasons for 26%, education reasons for 17%, and other reasons, including international protection, for 24%.