Download

EMN Annual report on Migration and Asylum 2023. (external website)

Statistical-annex (external website)

Norway’s Country fact sheet (external website)

Key notes from the report

• 2023 was marked by significant policy developments at European Union (EU) level. In December, the European Parliament and the Council of the EU reached an important political agreement on five key regulations of the New Pact on Asylum and Migration. Finalised in 2024, the legislative texts strengthen migration and asylum management in the EU. These include: The Asylum and Migration Management Regulation, the Asylum Procedure Regulation, the Screening Regulation, the Crisis and Force Majeure Regulation and the revised Eurodac regulation. At the end of the year, Parliament and Council also reached an agreement on the revised proposal for a Single Permit Directive, which will simplify admission procedures for all third-country workers.
• An increase in irregular migration towards the EU was recorded in 2023. Overall, there were 380 000 illegal border crossings on entry, an increase of 17% compared to 2022.1 This development prompted EMN Member Countries to reinforce their border management operations and capacities and adopt new meas[1]ures to tackle migrant smuggling and prevent irregular migration. EMN Member Countries such as Estonia and Finland started building or upgraded their external border infrastructure. Others such as Germany and Slovenia implemented temporary border checks at their internal land borders.
• First time applications for international protection in the EU and Norway (included in Eurostat reporting) increased in 2023, surpassing one million for the first time since 2016. The number of first and total applications for asylum dropped in the reporting EMN Observer Countries (with the exception of Norway) compared to 2022. In response to the growing volume of applicants, EMN Member Countries took measures to make asylum procedures more effective and to deal with pressure on reception capacities. Several EMN Member Countries also expanded access to various types of support – including healthcare for international protection applicants. Some EMN Member and Observer Countries introduced measures to facilitate asylum seekers’ access to the national labour market.
• As Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine continued throughout 2023, as of April 2024 EMN Member and Observer Countries were providing safe shelter to approximately 4.2 million nationals and former residents of Ukraine fleeing the conflict. The EU extended temporary protection for them to March 2025. In some EMN Member Countries and Norway, the process to renew temporary protection was automatic without any action required on the part of the beneficiary. Several countries introduced measures to integrate beneficiaries of temporary protection (BoTP) in respect of housing, education, and access to the labour market.
• In order to align with the requirements of the new EU-wide Entry/Exit System, implement the European Interoperability Framework and/or speed up administrative procedures, several EMN Member and Observer Countries developed digital solutions, including in relation to issuing and renewing residence permits, introducing new visa application procedures, and issuing return decisions. EMN Member Countries upgraded their information technology (IT) capabilities to integrate their national systems into the growing architecture of EU-wide migration databases.
• In legal migration, attracting and retaining talent to meet labour market needs remained a key priority for the majority of EMN Member and Observer Countries. Several governments reported policy and legislative initiatives to ease and simplify admission procedures for various categories of workers, especially highly qualified and skilled workers and workers in shortage occupations. Measures addressing the mobility and entry and/or stay of students and researchers were also on the agenda of the majority of EMN Member and Observer Countries. The prevention of social dumping and labour exploitation was the subject of a comprehensive action plan by the French government.
• In 2023, most EMN Member and Observer Countries established and/or strengthened international partnerships with third countries. Cooperation revolved around all major aspects of migration, ranging from the prevention of irregular migration (including border management) and return and readmission to legal and circular migration, mobility of students and researchers, and international protection. Examples of strategic cooperation included Germany’s revamped centres for migration and development in cooperation with several third countries, as well as Ukraine’s work with different countries to strengthen the legislative base on readmission.