Nationals from Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia emerged as the top beneficiaries of French residence permits and citizenship. Data from the French Interior Ministry reveals that these three Maghrebi nationalities were at the forefront of applicants for short-term visas and residence permits.
Moroccans were granted the highest number of first residence permits, totalling 36,648, which accounts for 11.2% of all permits issued throughout the year. Algeria followed with 31,943 permits, making up 9.7% of the total, while Tunisia ranked third with 22,639 permits, representing 6.9% of the overall figures. Collectively, these three countries were awarded more than a quarter (27.8%) of all residence permits issued by France in 2023.
The trend is similarly reflected in the realm of French citizenship. Moroccans topped the list of new citizens, with 8,017 gaining French nationality. Algerians ranked second with 6,737 obtaining citizenship, while 3,841 Tunisians also became French citizens in the past year.