France

France is primarily a country of destination for migrants, with a longstanding tradition of immigration. It is also, to a lesser extent, a country of emigration and, more marginally, a transit country. In 2025, the population reached approximately 68,6 million. Migration has become the main driver of demographic growth: in 2024, net migration was estimated at 152,000, accounting for nearly 90% of the annual population increase, or about 0.25% per year.

In 2023, the total foreign-born population of France stood at 8,9 million, including 1,7 million French nationals born abroad. The immigrant population totalled 7,3 million, representing 10.7% of the population. Among them, 2,5 million (34%) had acquired French citizenship, while 5,6 million remained foreign nationals, including 0,8 million born in France.

France’s colonial legacy and geographic location continue to shape the primary countries of origin of immigrants. In 2023, 47.7% of immigrants in France were born in an African country, with 28.7% originating from the Maghreb (Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia). By contrast, the share of immigrants from Europe in France declined significantly, from 76.8% in 1968 to 32.3% in 2023. Migrants from Portugal (577,000), Italy (283,100), and Spain (231,200) together made about 15% of all immigrants in the country. In 2023, the stock of valid residence permits amounted to 4,272,795. Of these, 1,390,924 (33%) were issued for family reasons, 450,789 (11%) for employment, 349,957 (8%) for education, and the remainder for other reasons. Algerians (649,991 permits), Moroccans (617,053), and Tunisians (304,287) remained the largest groups holding residence permits in France, while 169,991 residence permits were issued to British citizens as part of post-Brexit regularisation. According to France’s Ministry of Labour (DARES study published in 2021), immigrants account for about one in ten jobs (10.2%) overall, with their share exceeding 25% in sectors such as domestic work, construction and security services.

In 2024, France issued 343,024 first-time residence permits to non-EU nationals, a 0.9% increase compared to 2023. The top ten recipient nationalities were Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, India, Afghanistan, Cameroon, the United States, China, Côte d’Ivoire, and Senegal, together accounting for  49.4% of all first permits. Moroccan nationals received the largest share(36,815), followed by Algerians (29,270) and Tunisians (22,456), who together made up more than one-quarter of all first permits. Migrants from India, Afghanistan, Cameroon, and the U.S. increased notably in 2024. By contrast, first permits for Chinese and Ivoirian nationals remained steady, and those for Senegalese nationals declined by 11%. The reasons behind the residence permits also reveal distinct migration patterns. Overall, among the top ten nationalities, family migration remained the most common pathway (36.8%), followed by labour migration (21.9%), studies (16.7%) and humanitarian reasons (5.1%). Yet the mix varied strongly by nationality: study-related permits were most common among Senegalese (32.1%) and Chinese nationals (27.4%), while Comorian migration was overwhelmingly family-driven (76.1%). Tunisians, on the other hand, showed a much higher reliance on labour migration (33.1%).

Among other migration channels, France operates several specialised programmes, including passeport talent for skilled migrants, humanitarian pathways, and the admission exceptionnelle au séjour (AES), which allows certain undocumented migrants to regularise their stay. In 2024, the number of passeport talent permits declined by 5.4% compared to 2023, totalling 55,678.  This decline was largely driven by reductions in the salaried and family subcategories. By contracts,  the scientific, artistic, and non-salaried categories grew strongly – by 14.4%, 18.9%, and 24.0%, respectively –  reflecting France’s ongoing efforts to attract skilled migrants. The AES programme issued 31,865 permits in 2024, an 8.2% decline from the previous year, with  family-related cases continuing to dominate (20,085).

Emigration also plays a major role in France’s migration profile. As of December 2024, 1,741,942 French nationals were registered in the consular register of nationals residing abroad, including 1.23 million who had lived in the same consular zone for more than five years. The largest communities of French nationals are found in Switzerland (171,884), the United States (159,357), the United Kingdom (141,065), Belgium (123,226), and Canada (118,772), together representing 40.5 % of all French abroad. Employment opportunities remain the key mobility driver. According to ExpatCommunication, 12% of French expatriates work in education, 8% in business, 8% in IT, 8% in trade, 7% in banking and insurance, and 6% in hospitality and tourism. Retirees also make up a significant share –  8.3% of French pensioners, more than 1.1 million, live abroad with nine in ten residing in Europe (47%) or Africa (42%). The largest retiree communities are in Algeria (341,184), Portugal (163,851), and Spain (157,076).

France registered a record  153,715 asylum applications in 2024. The top five countries of origin were Afghanistan, Ukraine, Guinea, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Côte d'Ivoire. According to OFPRA (French Office for the Protection of Refugees and Stateless Persons), Afghanistan remained the leading country of origin for the seventh consecutive year, with 12,378 applications.  African countries accounted for the largest regional share, with 59,706 applications (46% of the total), up from 40% in 2023. In the same year, OFPRA granted protection to 70,284 individuals, bringing the total number of beneficiaries of protection in France to 663,241.

The temporary residence permit (Autorisation Provisoire de Séjour) introduced in 2022 in response to the war in Ukraine, continued to play a role: in 2024, 56,314 displaced persons from Ukraine held APS permits. Ukrainians also became one of the main asylum-seeking groups in France, with 13,516 applications lodged in 2024. A total of 6,926 Ukrainians were granted international protection in 2024, up sharply from 2,350 in 2023.

Applications for stateless status remained stable, with 467 cases in 2024 compared to 465 in 2023. France also admitted 21 individuals through UNHCR-coordinated resettlement programme based on vulnerability criteria. These resettlements took place during 21 missions conducted in seven countries: Türkiye (6 missions), Cameroon (3), Jordan (3), Chad (3), Egypt (2), Ethiopia (2), and Rwanda (2).

In 2024, France detailed 147,156 foreigners nationals for irregular stay, an 18.9% increase compared to 2023. Sharp rises were observed among nationals of Sudan (+108.1%), Eritrea (+73.4%), and Mali (+74.1%) reflecting changing irregular migration flows from the Horn of Africa and West Africa. That same year, 27,791 irregular migrants left France, including 12,856 deportations, 4,586 assisted returns and 4,159 spontaneous returns. Voluntary returns under Ministry of Interior return assistance programs fell to 89, while unassisted voluntary departures rose to 6,101. In addition, 6,908 migrants received return and reintegration support through the French Office for Immigration and Integration (OFII).

As of January 2025, France had signed nearly 60 bilateral migration agreements, including seven on the concerted management of migration flows (e.g. with Senegal, Gabon, Tunisia, Republic of Congo, Cabo Verde, Burkina Faso and Benin), which address legal migration, irregular migration control, and development cooperation. Other agreements cover youth and professional mobility (11), working holiday programs (16, including with Canada, Japan, and Australia), labour migration (5), and entry/stay arrangements with 14 African countries. France is also active in multilateral frameworks, having signed the 2018 UN Global Compacts on Migration and Refugees. At EU level, it supports the Pact on Migration and Asylum and joined 21 Member States in 2023 in a solidarity mechanism for relocations and financial aid. Although the Pact, adopted in April 2024, required national plans by December 2024, France had not published its plan by mid-2025, prompting questions in Parliament and Senate.

Domestically, immigration has been governed by frequent legislative change – roughly one new law every two years since 1945. A 2023 proposal to tighten immigration rules was rejected, but the Immigration Control and Integration Improvement Law, adopted in January 2024, introduced several reforms. These include easier access to residence permits for undocumented workers in shortage sectors, and a new multi-year “talent” permit for non-EU medical professionals. However, the law tightened language and integration requirements, increased sanctions on employers of undocumented workers, and expanded deportation grounds to long-term residents convicted of serious crimes. The government plans to introduce a new immigration law in 2025.