Albanian citizens experienced a significant increase in the issuance of residence permits by European Union countries in 2022, reaching a ten-year record high.

According to the latest report released by EUROSTAT, the European Union’s statistical agency, a staggering 73,858 residence permits were granted to Albanians by EU member states during the year 2022.

This surge in residence permits represents a substantial rise compared to previous years. In 2021, 55,085 permits were issued to Albanian nationals, while in 2020, the number stood at 38,240 permits.

Over the past decade (2012-2022), statistics from EUROSTAT indicate that approximately 537,000 Albanian citizens have obtained residence permits in various EU countries.

The driving force behind this notable trend is the desire among Albanians to seek better employment and life opportunities abroad, resulting in a shortage of skilled labor within Albania itself.

Among EU countries, Italy stands out as the leader in granting residence permits to Albanian citizens, with an impressive 34,864 permits issued. Greece follows with 14,313 permits granted. Notably, Germany exhibits a new trend with a substantial increase in residence permits issued to Albanian nationals, rising from 4,492 in 2021 to 13,334 in 2022.

In addition to these countries, France issued 2,455 residence permits, and Malta experienced a significant rise in Albanian nationals seeking employment opportunities, with 2,009 permits issued in 2022 compared to 1,142 in the previous year.

The data also reveals that employment remains the primary reason for the issuance of residence permits, as European Union countries issued approximately 3.7 million permits to non-EU citizens in 2022, reflecting a notable 26% increase from 2021. Of these permits, around 1.6 million were specifically granted for employment purposes.