An IMGlobalWealth.news Report
New figures reveal a divergence: residence permits are rising, while grants of asylum-related protection are falling.
Spain issued more first residence permits than any other EU country in 2025, while Germany granted the most protection to asylum seekers. Eurostat’s latest annual figures show two distinct trends: expanding legal residence and declining asylum approvals. The comparison covers the EU’s 27 members, excluding Britain, Switzerland and Norway.
EU countries issued approximately 3.9 million first residence permits to non-EU citizens, up 10.1% from 2024 and the highest total since records began in 2008. Spain led with 635,438, followed by Germany with 605,292, Poland with 467,314, Italy with 433,099 and France with 377,462. Together, these five countries accounted for almost two-thirds of the total.
“For businesses and globally mobile families, the broader lesson is that asylum statistics alone offer an incomplete guide to Europe’s migration landscape. Work, family and study remain central to understanding who receives permission to stay”
Employment accounted for 33.6% of permits, family reasons for 28.1% and education for 15.5%. Poland issued the most employment-related permits; Spain led in family-related permits; France ranked first for study. Relative to population, Malta topped the table with 57 first permits per 1,000 residents, ahead of Cyprus on 47 and Portugal on 27. The EU average was nine.
Malta also had the EU’s second-highest share of foreign-born residents on 1 January 2025, at 32%, behind Luxembourg’s 51.5%. This measures residents born abroad, regardless of citizenship, rather than new permits issued.
Asylum followed a different trajectory. EU countries granted protection to 361,325 people in 2025, a decline of 17.5%. Germany accounted for 103,360, ahead of Spain’s 76,210 and France’s 72,930. Those three countries provided 70% of the EU total, including positive decisions following appeals or reviews.
These figures encompass refugee status, subsidiary protection and humanitarian status under national law. They measure successful outcomes, rather than applications received. Afghans were the largest group granted protection, followed by Venezuelans. At first instance, 39.1% of asylum decisions were positive.
The distinction matters. First residence permits cover several routes, including international protection, so the two totals overlap and should not be added together. Temporary protection, used for people displaced from Ukraine, is counted separately from residence permits.
Nor does granting the most protection necessarily mean having the most permissive asylum system. Absolute totals reflect the volume and composition of cases as well as decisions. For businesses and globally mobile families, the broader lesson is that asylum statistics alone offer an incomplete guide to Europe’s migration landscape. Work, family and study remain central to understanding who receives permission to stay.
