The number of residence permits issued to foreigners in 2023 had reached 330,730, with the temporary protection permits issued to Ukrainians impacting this number significantly.
According to data by Istat, the Italian Institute for Statistics, the number of foreigners with regular residence permits in 2023 was 3.6 million, Schengen.News reports.
In 2023, Ukrainians became the number one community in Italy, surpassing Albanians and Moroccans. The data show that preferences for the type of residence permits have also shifted since family and study permits are increasing while there is a decrease in work permits.
Residence Permits for Work Purposes Nearly Halved in 2023
Nearly 39,000 residence permits for employment were granted to foreigners in 2023, marking a decrease of 42.2 per cent compared to the previous year.
In addition, permits for work reasons represent 11.8 per cent of permits issued during 2023, while 13,000 or 32.8 per cent were first-time residence permits.
This decrease in the number of work permits the authorities have attributed to the lower share of permits for emergencies, which in the previous year represented over three-quarters of the total (72.6 per cent).
The data also reveals that around 13,800 are new permits for dependent work, and the remaining 8,200 are seasonal permits.
Indians, Moroccans & Albanians Were the Top Beneficiaries of Work Permits
The top nationalities that received the most residence permits in 2023 were Indians and Moroccans, with 5,783 and 4,251 permits, respectively, while Albanians were ranked third (3,637).
Together with Bangladeshis (3,467) and Americans (2,196), these five nationalities represented 50 per cent of all beneficiaries for work permits in 2023.
Albanians, Moroccans and Indians obtained residence permits for family reunification the most, while a decrease in these types of permits was noticed among Bangladeshis and Ukranians.
Fewer Foreigners With Regular Residence Permits Were Registered in 2023
The number of foreigners with a regular residence permit, indicating those who have a permit to live and work in the country for up to five years, dropped by three per cent during this period. In total, 3.6 million obtained permits, but the largest decreases were noticed among Albanians, Indians, as well as Chinese nationals.
For Albanians and Moroccans, in particular, this decrease is linked to the numerous acquisitions of citizenship that allow ‘new citizens’ to reside in Italy without the need for a residence permit.
The opposite occurred with Bangladeshi and Egyptian nationals, who filed three per cent more applications for these types of permits. The number of people who obtained Italian citizenship reached 213,567, down by 213,716 in 2022.