Rabat – Moroccan nationals emerged as the primary beneficiaries of French visas and residence permits in 2023, Schengen News reported today.
The outlet quoted data from the French Interior Ministry as saying that Moroccans were granted a significant share of first-residence permits and French citizenship, although overall naturalization rates saw a decline compared to the previous year.
France issued a total of 2.4 million visas in 2023. Out of nearly three million visa applications received, Morocco, alongside China and India, were among the top applicants. Specifically, 52.4% of all visa requests filed by Moroccans were granted.
In terms of residence permits, Moroccan nationals received 11.2% of the total 326,954 permits issued, amounting to 36,648 permits. This places Moroccans at the top among North African countries, followed by Algerians with 31,943 permits (9.7%) and Tunisians with 22,639 permits (6.9%).
Despite a 6.6% decrease from 2022, Moroccans remained the largest group among North African nationalities to be granted residence permits.
The year 2023 also saw a significant number of Moroccans acquiring French citizenship. A total of 8,017 Moroccan nationals were naturalized, although this figure represents an 18.3% decline compared to the previous year.
The majority of these naturalizations occurred by decree, with 4,665 becoming citizens through this method, while 3,352 were naturalized by declaration, often through marriage or descent.
Overall, the Maghreb region, encompassing Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia, accounted for a substantial portion of migration to France in 2023. These three nationalities collectively received 27.8% of all first-residence permits issued.
The data from the French Ministry of Interior highlighted a notable increase in residence permits for Algerians and Tunisians, by 9.1% and 3.6%, respectively, compared to the previous year.
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