In 2019, 276 200 children (non-EU citizens) aged under 15 years were issued with a first residence permit for family reasons in the EU. This is a ratio of 504 per 100 000 of the EU child population aged less than 15. Among those children, 60% were aged less than five.
The Member States issuing the highest numbers of these permits were Germany (61 500, or 22% of the total number of first residence permits issued in the EU for family reasons to children aged less than 15), followed by Spain (55 300, or 20%), Italy (41 300, or 15%) and Sweden (24 400, or 9%).
In relative terms, the ratio per 100 000 children aged less than 15 years was more than twice the EU average in Sweden (1 339), Luxembourg (1 322) and Slovenia (1 257), while it was 50% higher in three other Member States: Belgium (897), Portugal (863) and Spain (798).
Data source: migr_resfas and demo_pjan
As regards the country of citizenship of children aged less than 15 years granted a first residence permit for family reasons in the EU, 35% of children had citizenship of an Asian country, 25% African, 23% European (non-EU), 9% South and Central American and 3% North American.
Morocco (12% of the total number of first residence permit issued in the EU for family reasons to children under 15 years) was the main country of citizenship in 2019, followed by Syria (7%) and India (6%).
When looking at the bilateral flows between Member States and third countries in 2019, the top 3 flows of children aged less than 15 years coming for family reasons was observed between Morocco and Spain (24 800 children), then Syria and Germany (12 700) and finally Brazil and Portugal (6 900).
Data source: migr_resfas
For more information:
- Statistics Explained article on children in migration - residence permits for family reasons.
- Eurostat website section on children in migration statistics.
- Eurostat database of children in migration statistics.
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