Migration and migrant population statistics

Data extracted in March 2023.

Planned article update: March 2024.

Highlights

2.3 million immigrants entered the EU from non-EU countries in 2021, an increase of almost 18% compared with 2020.

1.4 million people previously residing in one EU Member State migrated to another Member State, an increase of almost 17% compared with 2020.

23.8 million people (5.3%) of the 446.7 million people living in the EU on 1 January 2022 were non-EU citizens.

In 2021, EU Member States granted citizenship to 827 300 persons having their usual residence on the EU territory, an increase of around 14% compared with 2020.

Immigrants, 2021

This article presents European Union (EU) statistics on international migration (flows), numbers of national and non-national citizens in the population ("stocks") and data relating to the acquisition of citizenship. Migration is influenced by a combination of economic, environmental, political and social factors: either in a migrant's country of origin (push factors) or in the country of destination (pull factors). Historically, the relative economic prosperity and political stability of the EU are thought to have exerted a considerable pull effect on immigrants.

In destination countries, international migration may be used as a tool to address specific labour market shortages. However, migration alone will almost certainly not reverse the ongoing trend of population ageing experienced in many parts of the EU.

Full article

Migration flows: Immigration to the EU was 2.3 million in 2021

In 2021, 2.3 million immigrants came to the EU from non-EU countries and 1.4 million people previously residing in one EU Member State migrated to another Member State. This makes a total of 3.7 million arrivale as a result of international immigration in 2021. On the other hand, about 1.1 million people emigrated from the EU to a country outside the EU and more than 1.2 million moved from an EU country to another EU country in 2021. Therefore, a total of around 2.5 million were reported to have left an EU Member State to either migrate to another EU Member State or to a country outside the EU. To compare, in 2020 there were, respectively, an estimated 1.9 million immigrants to the EU from non-EU countries and 1.2 million people previously residing in one EU Member State migrated to another Member State. About 956 000 people emigrated from the EU to a country outside the EU in 2020.

Figure 1: Immigrants from outside EU and emigrants to outside EU, EU, 2013–2021
(million)
Source: Eurostat (migr_imm12prv) and (migr_emi5nxt)

Germany and Luxembourg: respectively, the largest absolute number of total immigrants and the highest rate of immigration in 2021

Germany reported the largest total number of immigrants (874 400) in 2021, followed by Spain (528 900), France (336 400) and Italy (318 400). Germany also reported the highest number of emigrants in 2021 (543 200), followed by Spain (380 800), Romania (216 900) and Poland (201 600). A total of 23 EU Member States reported more immigration than emigration in 2021, but in Croatia, Greece, Latvia and Romania the number of emigrants outnumbered the number of immigrants. Compared with 2020, almost all Member States with the exception of Greece, Cyprus, Portugal, Slovenia and Slovakia recorded an increase in the total number of immigrants in 2021: the highest increase in relative terms between 2020 and 2021 could be observed in Latvia (44 %), Romania (34 %) and Malta (31 %) while Slovenia recorded the highest decrease (-35 % of immigrants between 2020 and 2021). In contrast, in 2020 almost all Member States with the exception of Finland, Lithuania and Slovenia recorded a decrease in the total number of immigrants compared with 2019.

Table 1: Immigration by citizenship, 2021
Source: Eurostat (migr_imm1ctz)

Relative to the size of the resident population, Luxembourg recorded the highest rate of immigration in 2021 (almost 40 immigrants per 1 000 persons), followed by Malta (35 immigrants per 1 000 persons) and Cyprus (27 immigrants per 1 000 persons) — see Figure 2. For emigration, the highest rates in 2021 were reported for Malta (26 emigrants per 1 000 persons), Luxembourg (25 emigrants per 1 000 persons) and Cyprus (20 emigrants per 1 000 persons).

Figure 2: Immigrants, 2021
(per 1 000 inhabitants)
Source: Eurostat (migr_imm1ctz) and (migr_pop1ctz)

Highest share of national immigrants for Romania, lowest for Czechia

In 2021, the relative share of national immigrants (immigrants with the citizenship of the EU Member State to which they were migrating) within the total number of immigrants was highest in Romania (76.8 % of all immigrants), Portugal (75.3 %), Slovakia (65.1 %), Bulgaria (56.0 %) and Lithuania (52.9 %). These were the only EU Member States where national immigration accounted for more than half of the total number of immigrants — see Figure 3. By contrast, in Czechia, national immigration represented 4.2 % of total immigration in 2021.

Figure 3: Distribution of immigrants by citizenship, 2021
(% of all immigrants)
Source: Eurostat (migr_imm2ctz)

Information on citizenship has often been used to study immigrants with a foreign background. However, since citizenship can change over the lifetime of a person, it is also useful to analyse information by country of birth. The relative share of native-born immigrants within the total number of immigrants was highest in Romania (52.4 % of all immigrants), followed by Bulgaria (48.1 %) and Greece (47.8 %). By contrast, Luxembourg and Spain reported relatively low shares of native-born immigrants, around 6 % of all immigration in 2021.

Table 2: Immigration by country of birth, 2021
Source: Eurostat (migr_imm3ctb)

Previous residence: 2.3 million immigrants entered the EU in 2021

An analysis by place of previous residence (see Table 3) reveals that Lithuania recorded the largest share of immigrants coming from outside the EU (81 % of its total number of immigrants in 2021), followed by Spain (80 %) and Slovenia (79 %). On the other hand, Luxembourg reported the largest share of immigrants coming from another EU Member State (91 % of its total number of immigrants in 2021), followed by Slovakia (68 %) and Austria (56 %).

Table 3: Immigration by previous country of residence, 2021
Source: Eurostat (migr_imm5prv)

Sex distribution of immigrants to the EU Member States in 2021

Slightly more men than women immigrated to the EU Member States in 2021 (55 % compared with 45 %). The Member State reporting the highest share of male immigrants was Croatia (73 %); by contrast, the highest share of female immigrants was reported in Cyprus (54 %).

Figure 4: Immigrants by sex, 2021
(% of all immigrants)
Source: Eurostat (migr_imm2ctz)

Half of immigrants were aged under 30 years

Member States welcomed immigrants that were on average younger than their already resident population. On 1 January 2022, the median age of the total population of the EU stood at 44.4 years, while it was 30 years for immigrants in 2021. An analysis of the age structure of immigrants by citizenship shows that, for the EU as a whole, the non-national immigrants were younger than the national immigrants. The distribution by age of non-national immigrants shows, compared with national immigrants, a greater proportion of relatively young working age adults. The median age of national immigrants stood at 32.9 years and that of non-national immigrants was 29.2 years.

Figure 5: Age structure of immigrants by citizenship, EU, 2021
(%)
Source: Eurostat (migr_imm2ctz)

Migrant population: 23.8 million non-EU citizens living in the EU on 1 January 2022

On 1 January 2022, 23.8 million citizens of non-member countries were residing in a EU Member State, representing 5.3 % of the EU population. In addition, 13.7 million persons living in one of the EU Member States on 1 January 2022 were citizens of another EU Member State.

In absolute terms, the largest numbers of non-nationals living in the EU Member States on 1 January 2022 were found in Germany (10.9 million), Spain (5.4 million), France (5.3 million) and Italy (5 million). Non-nationals in these four Member States collectively represented 71 % of the total number of non-nationals living in the EU, while the same four Member States had a 57.6 % share of the EU's population.

In relative terms, the EU Member State with the highest share of non-nationals on 1 January 2022 was Luxembourg, where non-nationals accounted for 47.1 % of the total population. A high proportion of foreign citizens (more than 10 % of the resident population) was also observed in Malta, Cyprus, Austria, Estonia, Ireland, Germany, Latvia, Belgium and Spain. In contrast, non-nationals represented less than 1 % of the population in Romania (0.3 %) and in Croatia (0.9 %).

Table 4: Non-national population by group of citizenship, 1 January 2022
Source: Eurostat (migr_pop1ctz)

Non-national population in the EU Member States: mostly non-EU citizens

On 1 January 2022, in most EU Member States, the majority of non-nationals were citizens of non-EU countries (see Figure 6). Only in Luxembourg, Cyprus, Austria, Ireland, Belgium, the Netherlands and Slovakia did citizens of another EU Member State make more than 50 %. In the case of Latvia, the proportion of citizens from non-member countries is particularly large due to the high number of recognised non-citizens (mainly former Soviet Union citizens, who are permanently resident in these countries but have not acquired any other citizenship).

Figure 6: Share of non-nationals in the resident population, 1 January 2022
(%)
Source: Eurostat (migr_pop1ctz)

Highest share of foreign-born population in Luxembourg, lowest in Romania

The relative share of foreign-born within the total population was highest in Luxembourg (49.4 % of the resident population), followed by Malta (23.6 %) and Cyprus (22.7 %). By contrast, Romania reported low shares of foreign-born (1.7 % of its total population on 1 January 2022), followed by Poland (2.5 %), Bulgaria (3.2 %) and Slovakia (3.9 %).

In relative terms, Luxembourg had also by far the largest share of population born in other EU countries, 33.8 %, followed by Cyprus with 10.6 % and Austria with 9.3 %. Belgium and Malta also registered high shares of citizens born in other EU countries, with 7.9 % each. Poland and Lithuania, on the other hand, had the smallest shares of population born in other EU countries, with only 0.6 % each.

Table 5: Foreign-born population by country of birth, 1 January 2022
Source: Eurostat (migr_pop3ctb)

Table 6 presents a summary of the five main groups of foreign citizens and foreign-born populations for the EU Member States and EFTA countries (subject to data availability).

Table 6: Main countries of citizenship and birth of the foreign/foreign-born population, 1 January 2022
(in absolute numbers and as a percentage of the total foreign/foreign-born population)
Source: Eurostat (migr_pop1ctz) and (migr_pop3ctb)

Romanian, Polish, Italian and Portuguese citizens were the four largest groups of EU citizens living in other EU Member States on 1 January 2022 (see Figure 7).

Figure 7: Number of EU citizens that are usual residents in the rest of the EU as of 1 January 2022
(million)
Source: Eurostat (migr_pop9ctz)

Foreign citizens are younger than nationals

An analysis of the age structure of the population shows that, for the EU as a whole, the foreign population was younger than the national population. The distribution by age of foreigners shows, compared with nationals, a greater proportion of relatively young working age adults. On 1 January 2022, the median age of the national population in the EU was 45.4 years, while the median age of non-nationals living in the EU was 36.6 years, showing a slight increase compared with the median age recorded on 1 January 2021 (45 years for national population and 36 years for non-nationals).

Figure 8: Age structure of the national and non-national populations, EU, 1 January 2022
(%)
Source: Eurostat (migr_pop2ctz)

Acquisitions of citizenship: EU Member States granted citizenship to 827 300 persons in 2021

Acquisitions of citizenship were up by 14 % in 2021

In 2021, 827 300 people acquired the citizenship of the EU Member State in which they lived, corresponding to an increase of around 14 % compared with 2020. Spain had the highest number of persons acquiring citizenship in 2021 (144 000, or 17 % of the EU total). The next highest figures for acquisition of citizenship were in France (130 400, or 16 %), Germany (130 000, or 16 %), Italy (121 500, or 15 %) and Sweden (89 400, or 11 %).

Figure 9: Number of persons having acquired the citizenship of an EU Member State, EU, 2010–2021
(1 000)
Source: Eurostat (migr_acq)

In absolute terms, the largest increases compared with 2020 were observed in France (43 900 more residents were granted French citizenship than in 2020), followed by Germany (18 800 more), Spain (17 700 more), Sweden (9 200 more) and Austria (7 200 more). In contrast, the greatest decrease in absolute terms was observed in Italy (10 300 fewer residents were granted Italian citizenship compared with 2020), followed by Portugal (7 600 fewer), Greece (3 200 fewer), Finland (1 200 fewer) and Cyprus (800 fewer).

Table 7: Acquisitions of citizenship by group of previous citizenship, 2021
Source: Eurostat (migr_acq)

Some 706 900 citizens of non-member countries residing in an EU Member State acquired EU citizenship in 2021, corresponding to an increase of around 14 % compared with 2020. As such, citizens of non-member countries accounted for 85.4 % of all persons who acquired citizenship of an EU Member State in 2021. Citizens of EU Member States who acquired citizenship of another EU Member State amounted to 104 500, thus accounting for 12.6 % of the total in 2021.

In Hungary and Luxembourg, the majority of new citizenships (respectively, 71 % and 65 %) were granted to citizens of another EU Member State. In the case of Luxembourg, Portuguese citizens accounted for the largest share of EU nationals (35 %), followed by French (21 %), Belgian (11 %) and Italian (8 %) citizens. In Hungary, the most numerous EU nationals acquiring citizenship were Romanians (74 %), with Slovakians (17 %) the second largest group.

In 2021, Moroccans were the largest group among new EU citizens (86 100, of which 90 % acquired citizenship of Spain, France, or Italy), followed by Syrians (83 500; 70 % acquired citizenship of Sweden or Netherlands), Albanians (32 300; 70 % acquired Italian citizenship), Romanians (28 600; 57 % acquired citizenship of Italy or Germany), Turks (25 700; 69 % acquired citizenship of Germany or France), Brazilians (28 400; 65 % acquired citizenship of Portugal or Italy), Algerians (12 200; 90 % acquired citizenship of France or Spain), Ukrainians (18 200; 61 % acquired citizenship of Poland, Italy, Germany or Spain), Russians (17 300; 53 % acquired citizenship of Germany, France or Spain), Pakistanis (16 600; 75 % acquired citizenship of Spain, Italy or Germany).

The total number of citizenships granted has changed for some of the citizenships of origin that were in the top thirty either in 2021 or 2020. Thus, the total number of acquisitions of citizenship has decreased for Britons by 34 % (from 16 000 in 2020 to 10 600 in 2021), Albanians by 20 % (from 40 500 in 2020 to 32 300 in 2021) and Brazilians by 15 % (from 24 100 in 2020 to 20 400 in 2021), increased for Algerians by 36 % (from 14 200 in 2020 to 19 200 in 2021), Syrians by 66 % (from 50 200 in 2020 to 83 500 in 2021) and Eritreans by 71 % (from 7 000 in 2020 to 12 000 in 2021).

Highest naturalisation rates in 2021 in Sweden and the Netherlands

One commonly used indicator is the "naturalisation rate", defined here as the ratio between the total number of citizenships granted and the stock of non-national residents at the beginning of the same year. The EU Member State with the highest naturalisation rate in 2021 was Sweden (10.0 per hundred), followed by the Netherlands (5.4), Romania (4.6) and Portugal (3.7). At the opposite end of the scale, naturalisation rates below 1 citizenship acquisition per 100 resident non-nationals were recorded in Slovakia, Croatia, Czechia (0.7 each), Estonia (0.5), Latvia (0.3) as well as Lithuania (0.2).

Figure 10: Naturalisation rate, 2021
(acquisition of citizenship per 100 resident non-nationals)
Source: Eurostat (migr_acq) and (migr_pop1ctz)

Source data for tables and graphs

Migration and migrant population statistics: tables and figures

Data sources

Emigration is particularly difficult to measure. It is harder to keep track of people leaving a country than those arriving, because for a migrant it is very often much more important to interact about his/her migration with the authorities of the receiving country than with those of the country he/she is leaving. An analysis comparing 2019 immigration with emigration data from the EU Member States (mirror statistics) confirmed that this was true in many countries — as a result, this article focuses on immigration data.

Eurostat produces statistics on a range of issues related to international migration flows, non-national population stocks and the acquisition of citizenship. Data are collected on an annual basis and are supplied to Eurostat by the national statistical authorities of the EU Member States and EFTA countries.

Legal Sources

Since 2008 the collection of migration and international protection data has been based on Regulation (EC) No 862/2007 and the analysis and composition of the EU, EFTA and candidate countries groups as of 1 January of the reference year are given in the implementing Commission Regulation (EU) No 351/2010. This defines a core set of statistics on international migration flows, population stocks of foreigners, the acquisition of citizenship, residence permits, asylum and measures against illegal entry and stay. Although EU Member States may use any appropriate data sources according to national availability and practice, the statistics collected under the Regulation must comply with common definitions and concepts. Most EU Member States base their statistics on administrative data sources such as population registers, registers of foreigners, registers of residence or work permits, health insurance registers and tax registers. Some countries use mirror statistics (for example, country X may use for immigration from country Y the emigration flows reported by country Y as coming from country X), sample surveys or estimation methods to produce migration statistics.

As stated in Article 2.1(a), (b), (c) of Regulation (EC) No 862/2007, immigrants who have been residing (or who are expected to reside) in the territory of an EU Member State for a period of at least 12 months are included in the statistics, as are emigrants living abroad for more than 12 months. Therefore, data collected by Eurostat concern migration for a period of 12 months or longer. Migrants therefore include people who have migrated for a period of one year or more as well as persons who have migrated on a permanent basis. Data on acquisitions of citizenship are collected by Eurostat under the provisions of Article 3.1.(d) of Regulation 862/2007, which states that: 'Member States shall supply to the Commission (Eurostat) statistics on the numbers of (…) persons having their usual residence in the territory of the Member State and having acquired during the reference year the citizenship of the Member State (…) disaggregated by (…) the former citizenship of the persons concerned and by whether the person was formerly stateless'.

Definitions:

The EU aggregates on Acquisitions of citizenship data for 2012, 2011 and 2010 include Romanian data for 2009.

Acquisition of citizenship data are rounded to the nearest multiple of 5 for Germany on a provisional basis since 2018.

Acquisition of citizenship data by individual former citizenship are not reliable for Romania for 2017-2021.

The EU aggregates on acquisitions of citizenship data by single former citizenship are computed without Romanian data for 2017-2021.

Age:

Concerning the definitions of age for migration flows, please note that 2021 data concern the respondent's age reached or age at the end of the reference year for all EU Member States with the exception of Ireland, Greece, Austria, Malta, Romania and Slovenia. In these countries data concern the respondent's age completed or on their last birthday. Concerning the definitions of age for acquisitions of citizenship, please note that 2021 data concern the respondent's age reached or at the end of the reference year for all EU Member States with the exception of Germany, Ireland, Greece, France, Lithuania, Malta, Austria, Poland and Slovenia. In these countries data concern the respondent's age completed or on their last birthday.

Member States and EFTA countries by inclusion/exclusion of asylum seekers and refugees in the data on population reported to Eurostat in the framework of the Unified Demographic data collection Reference Year 2021

Population as of 01.01.2022	Included	Excluded
Asylum seekers usually resident for at least 12 months	Belgium, Czechia, Germany, Estonia, Ireland, Greece, Spain, France, Italy, Cyprus, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Austria, Portugal, Norway, Switzerland	Bulgaria, Denmark, Croatia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Finland, Sweden, Iceland, Liechtenstein
Refugees usually resident for at least 12 months	Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Ireland, Greece, Spain, France, Croatia, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Hungary, Malta, the Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Finland, Sweden, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland

Member States and EFTA countries by inclusion/exclusion of asylum seekers and refugees in the data on migration reported to Eurostat in the framework of the Unified Demographic data collection Reference Year 2021

Migration for 2021	Included	Excluded
Asylum seekers usually resident for at least 12 months	Belgium, Czechia, Germany, Estonia, Ireland, Greece, Spain, France, Italy, Cyprus, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Austria, Portugal, Norway, Switzerland	Bulgaria, Denmark, Croatia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Finland, Sweden, Iceland, Liechtenstein
Refugees usually resident for at least 12 months	Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Ireland, Greece, Spain, France, Croatia, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Hungary, Malta, the Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Finland, Sweden, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland

Refugee: The term does not solely refer to persons granted refugee status (as defined in Art.2(e) of Directive 2011/95/EC within the meaning of Art.1 of the Geneva Convention relating to the Status of Refugees of 28 July 1951, as amended by the New York Protocol of 31 January 1967) but also to persons granted subsidiary protection (as defined in Art.2(g) of Directive 2011/95/EC) and persons covered by a decision granting authorisation to stay for humanitarian reasons under national law concerning international protection.

Asylum seeker: First-time asylum applications are country-specific and imply no time limit. Therefore, an asylum seeker can apply for first time in a given country and afterwards again as first-time applicant in any other country. If an asylum seeker lodges once more an application in the same country after any period of time, (s)he is not considered again a first-time applicant.

Naturalisation rate: The term 'naturalisation rate' should be used with caution because the numerator includes all modes of acquisitions and not just naturalisations of eligible residing non-nationals and the denominator includes all non-nationals, rather than non-nationals who are eligible for naturalisation.

Context

Citizens of EU Member States have freedom to travel and freedom of movement within the EU's internal borders. Migration policies within the EU in relation to citizens of non-member countries are increasingly concerned with attracting a particular migrant profile, often in an attempt to alleviate specific skills shortages. Selection can be carried out on the basis of language proficiency, work experience, education and age. Alternatively, employers can make the selection so that migrants already have a job upon their arrival.

Besides policies to encourage labour recruitment, immigration policy is often focused on two areas: preventing unauthorised migration and the illegal employment of migrants who are not permitted to work, as well as promoting the integration of immigrants into society. Significant resources have been mobilised to fight people smuggling and trafficking networks in the EU.

Within the European Commission, the Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs is responsible for the European migration policies. In 2005, the European Commission relaunched the debate on the need for a common set of rules for the admission of economic migrants with a Green paper on an EU approach to managing economic migration (COM(2004) 811 final) which led to the adoption of a policy plan on legal migration (COM(2005) 669 final) at the end of 2005. In July 2006, the European Commission adopted a Communication on policy priorities in the fight against illegal immigration of third-country nationals (COM(2006) 402 final), which aims to strike a balance between security and an individuals' basic rights during all stages of the illegal immigration process. In September 2007, the European Commission presented its third annual report on migration and integration (COM(2007) 512 final). A European Commission Communication adopted in October 2008 emphasised the importance of strengthening the global approach to migration: increasing coordination, coherence and synergies (COM(2008) 611 final) as an aspect of external and development policy. The Stockholm programme, adopted by EU heads of state and government in December 2009, set a framework and series of principles for the ongoing development of European policies on justice and home affairs for the period 2010 to 2014; migration-related issues are a central part of this programme. In order to bring about the changes agreed upon, the European Commission enacted an action plan implementing the Stockholm programme – delivering an area of freedom, security and justice for Europe's citizens (COM(2010) 171 final) in 2010.

In May 2013, the European Commission published the 'EU Citizenship Report 2013' (COM(2013) 269 final). The report noted that EU citizenship brings new rights and opportunities. Moving and living freely within the EU is the right most closely associated with EU citizenship. Given modern technology and the fact that it is now easier to travel, freedom of movement allows Europeans to expand their horizons beyond national borders, to leave their country for shorter or longer periods, to come and go between EU countries to work, study and train, to travel for business or for leisure, or to shop across borders. Free movement potentially increases social and cultural interactions within the EU and closer bonds between EU citizens. In addition, it may generate mutual economic benefits for businesses and consumers, including those who remain at home, as internal obstacles are steadily removed.

The European Commission presented a European Agenda on Migration (COM(2015) 240 final) outlining immediate measures to be taken in order to respond to the crisis situation in the Mediterranean as well as steps to be taken in the coming years to better manage migration in all its aspects on 13 May 2015.

The European migration network started publishing in 2016 annual reports on migration. They provide an overview of the main legal and policy developments taking place across the EU as a whole and within participating countries. They are comprehensive documents and covers all aspects of migration and asylum policy by the European Commission's Migration and Home Affairs and EU agencies.

On 15 November 2017, the updated European Agenda on Migration focused on the refugee crisis, a common visa policy and Schengen. Matters included resettlements and relocations, financial support to Greece and Italy, and facilities for refugees. Objectives included enabling refugees to reach Europe through legal and safe pathways, ensuring that relocation responsibility is shared fairly between Member States, integrating migrants at local and regional levels.

On 4 December 2018, the Commission published a progress report on the implementation of the European Agenda on Migration, examining progress made and shortcomings in the implementation of the European Agenda on Migration. Focusing on how climate change, demography and economic factors create new reasons pushing people to move, it confirmed that the drivers behind migratory pressure on Europe were structural, thus making it all the more essential to deal with the matter efficiently and uniformly.

On 16 October 2019, the Commission published a progress report on the implementation of the European Agenda on Migration, focusing on key steps required on the Mediterranean routes in particular, as well as actions to consolidate the EU's toolbox on migration, borders and asylum.

On 23 September 2020, the Commission presented a New Pact on Migration and Asylum, setting out a fairer, more European approach to managing migration and asylum. It aims to put in place a comprehensive and sustainable policy, providing a humane and effective long-term response to the current challenges of irregular migration, developing legal migration pathways, better integrating refugees and other newcomers, and deepening migration partnerships with countries of origin and transit for mutual benefit.

On 2 March 2022, the Commission activated the Temporary Protection Directive to offer quick and effective assistance to people fleeing the war in Ukraine. Under this proposal, those fleeing the war will be granted temporary protection in the EU, meaning that they will be given a residence permit, and they will have access to education and to the labour market. The Commission created a solidarity platform to coordinate the reception of displaced people in the Member States. The EU Migration Preparedness and Crisis Management Mechanism Network, which gathers and disseminates information on the latest developments, strengthened the EU's collective response.

Some of the most important legal texts adopted in the area of immigration include:

Article 20 Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union Union law on EU citizens;
Article 21 Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union on EU citizens;
Article 79 Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union on border checks, asylum and immigration for third country nationals;
Directive 2003/09/EC on reception conditions for asylum seekers;
Directive 2003/86/EC on the right to family reunification;
Directive 2003/109/EC on a long-term resident status for non-member nationals;
Directive 2003/110/EC on assistance in cases of transit for the purposes of removal by air;
Directive 2004/38/EC on the right of citizens of the Union and their family members to move and reside freely within the territory of the Member States;
Directive 2004/81/EC on victims of trafficking;
Directive 2004/82/EC on the obligation of carriers to communicate passenger data;
Directive 2004/83/EC on qualification;
Directive 2004/114/EC on the admission of students;
Directive 2005/71/EC for the facilitation of the admission of researchers into the EU;
Regulation (EC) No 862/2007 on migration and international protection;
Directive 2008/115/EC for returning illegally staying third-country nationals;
Directive 2009/50/EC concerning the admission of highly skilled migrants;
Directive 2009/52/EC concerning employer sanctions;
Directive 2011/95/EC on standards for the qualification of third-country nationals or stateless persons as beneficiaries of international protection, for a uniform status of refugees eligible for subsidiary protection, and for the content for the protection granted;
Directive 2011/98/EU on single application procedure for a single permit for third-country nationals to reside and work in the territory of a Member State and on a common set of rights for third-country workers legally residing in a Member State;
Directive 2013/32/EU on common procedures for granting and withdrawing international protection;
Directive 2013/33/EU on standards for the reception of applicants for international protection;
Regulation (EU) No 603/2013 EURODAC Regulation on law enforcement access to the EU fingerprint database of asylum seekers under strictly limited circumstances, in order to prevent, detect or investigate the most serious crimes, such as murder and terrorism;
Regulation (EU) No 604/2013 establishing the criteria and mechanisms for determining the EU Member State responsible for examining an application for international protection lodged in one of the Member States by a third-country national (national of a non-member country) or stateless person (Dublin Regulation);
Directive 2014/36/EU on seasonal workers;
Directive 2014/54/EU on freedom of movement of workers;
Directive 2014/66/EU on intra-corporate transferees;
Directive 2014/67/EU on posted workers;
Directive 2016/801/EU on students and researchers;
Regulation (EU) 2020/851 amending Regulation (EC) No 862/2007;
Council Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/382 of 4 March 2022 establishing the existence of a mass influx of displaced persons from Ukraine within the meaning of Article 5 of Directive 2001/55/EC, and having the effect of introducing temporary protection.

For more information please see the New pact on Migration and Asylum