Published: 27.01.2026
France issued 384,230 first residence permits in 2025, more than 11% above the previous year. At the same time, regularisations declined, while arrests and removals of people in an irregular situation increased; 62,235 people acquired French nationality, almost 7% fewer than the year before.
According to the source, France’s migration system expanded first-time residence permits while tightening enforcement against irregular residence. The increase was driven mainly by student and humanitarian permits, while economic permits declined and regularisation became less common after the Retailleau circular. For prospective migrants, this creates a mixed picture: study and protection routes remain significant, but irregular residence and later regularisation carry greater risk. The figures are useful for understanding current migration trends, although they do not replace checking the requirements for a specific residence route.
- 🤔 rfi.fr