
In 2023, 4.3 million people moved to the EU from non-EU countries. Another 1.5 million moved between EU countries. While the EU works to control illegal migration, some countries actively seek highly-skilled workers.
The EU Blue Card is one of the mechanisms for attracting highly qualified workers from outside the EU. In 2023, around 89,000 non-EU professionals were granted a Blue Card, with the vast majority issued by Germany. This number has been rising in recent years according to Eurostat.