Last year, 3.7 million permits for residence were granted by EU countries to citizens coming from outside of the bloc, the highest number on record.

The total figure was 4.7% higher than the previous year, with Poland being the top issuer of such permits.

In Poland, the total number of resident permits granted reached 642,800, though this was a decrease from the 700,260 permits issued the previous year.

Germany took second place with 586,140 permits.

Eurostat said that employment was the main reason for issuing permits in 2023, accounting for 33.8% of all permissions.

Family circumstances accounted for 14.3% of permits, while other factors, including international protection, represented 25.6%.

Last year, the majority of permits issued within the EU were given to Ukrainian citizens, amounting to 307,313.

Following them were Belarusian citizens, who received 281,279 permits, and Indian nationals, who were granted 207,966 permits.