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Rabat – Morocco ranked second after Ukraine on the list of the top 10 citizenships receiving the highest number of first-time residency permits in the European Union in 2021.
According to recent data from the European Commission, Moroccan nationals acquired 150,100 first-time residency permits from EU member states.
Spain accounts for close to 50% of all residency permits issued for Moroccans, data from the European Commission indicate.
The European Commission further specifies that 59% of residency permits issued for Moroccans are based on family considerations, while 19% of permits were issued for employment purposes.
Of all the residency permits issued for Moroccans, 13% were issued for education purposes, notes the report from the European Commission.
Breaking down the numbers of residency permits by issuing countries, the report shows that Moroccans were granted more than 75,000 residency permits in Spain.
The second-largest issuer of permits for Moroccan nationals is France, with over 35,000 French residency permits delivered to Moroccans last year.
Of the 285,190 residency permits France issued to foreigners in 2021, Moroccan nationals received 35,233, making them the top receivers of first-time French documents. Italy comes in third place, issuing more than 23,000 residency permits for Moroccan nationals.
Moroccans are meanwhile the second nationality to receive Italian first-time residency permits, following Albania.
Belgium ranked as the fourth-largest issuer of residency permits for Moroccan nationals. Belgian authorities delivered last year 6,000 residency permits to Moroccans, making them the top non-EU citizens to receive the permit in the European country.
Fifth on the list of largest issuers of first-time residency permits for Moroccans is Germany, with the country issuing 2,000 residency permits for Moroccan nationals last year.
As the world enters the post-COVID era, the number of residency permits issued in the European Union is returning to pre-pandemic levels.
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