Comparing migration volumes between European countries requires choosing a precise indicator. The gross number of migrants received, the ratio of first residence permits per capita, or the recorded asylum applications do not refer to the same countries at the bottom of the ranking. The Eurostat data published in September 2026 help clarify several of these criteria, and a small group of countries consistently appears among those least affected by immigration flows in Europe.
First residence permits issued in 2025: the comparative table
The first residence permit is the most reliable indicator for measuring the effective reception of non-European nationals. It counts each person authorized to reside for the first time in a member state, whether for professional, family, study, or international protection reasons.
According to Eurostat data published on September 11, 2026, the disparities between countries are considerable. When adjusted for population, the ratio varies from about four permits per 1,000 inhabitants in the least open countries to several dozen in the most receptive ones.
| Country | Ratio of first residence permits (per 1,000 inhabitants, 2025) |
|---|---|
| Slovakia | ≈ 4 |
| Czech Republic | ≈ 4 |
| Romania | ≈ 4 |
| Estonia | ≈ 4 |
| Bulgaria | ≈ 4 |
These five states form a homogeneous block at the bottom of the European ranking. To learn more about Pays de Bécherel, the cross-referenced data confirm that Slovakia regularly stands out as the country welcoming the fewest migrants within the European Union.
Slovakia and immigration: why this country lags behind
The position of Slovakia cannot be explained by a single factor. Several structural elements converge to keep this country away from the major European migration flows.
- An economy focused on the automotive industry and business services, which generates fewer calls for foreign labor than the agricultural or personal services sectors dominant in other member states
- A stated restrictive migration policy, with lengthy administrative procedures for obtaining residence permits and low recourse to resettlement programs
- A geographical position in Central Europe, far from the main Mediterranean and Atlantic migration routes that feed arrivals in Italy, Spain, or Greece
Slovakia also recorded the lowest number of Dublin transfer requests in 2025, with only 49 outgoing requests according to the Eurostat annual report published in July 2026. Estonia followed with 33 requests and Latvia with 23.
This figure, while reflecting only one aspect of the asylum system, illustrates the country’s low integration into the readmission mechanisms between member states.
Asylum applications in Europe: a complementary indicator
Asylum applications measure a phenomenon different from residence permits. A country may issue few permits while receiving a significant number of asylum seekers, or vice versa.
In 2025, asylum applications significantly declined in several countries traditionally associated with restrictive policies. Denmark recorded only 1,835 applications by the end of November 2025. Sweden, long perceived as a major host country, experienced a notable decline in its applications during the same period.
In contrast, Germany and France still concentrate the majority of applications within the European Union. The disparities between large and small countries also mechanically widen due to population size: adjusting applications to the number of inhabitants changes the ranking.
Gross flows and ratios per capita: two different readings
In gross volume, micro-states like Liechtenstein or Iceland (outside the EU but within the European space) logically receive very few applications. Within the Union, Slovakia, Romania, and Bulgaria consistently rank among the countries recording the fewest asylum applications in absolute terms.
In terms of ratio per capita, the hierarchy remains similar for these three countries, confirming that their low volume is not merely a demographic size effect but reflects a structural reality.
What the ranking of European countries in terms of migration measures (and does not measure)
The Eurostat data cover the first residence permits issued to nationals of third countries. They exclude intra-European mobility, meaning EU citizens who settle in another member state. This point radically changes the interpretation for some countries.
Romania, for example, ranks among the countries issuing the fewest permits to non-Europeans. However, it is a significant emigration country: hundreds of thousands of Romanians live in Italy, Spain, or Germany. A country that is not open to extra-European immigration can be very connected to intra-EU migration flows.
- The first residence permits do not account for renewals, which underestimates the cumulative foreign presence
- Asylum applications do not reflect unrecorded irregular arrivals
- Dublin transfers measure administrative cooperation between states, not actual flows of people
No single indicator is sufficient to designate “the” country that receives the fewest migrants. However, the intersection of available data reveals a coherent result.
Slovakia appears as the EU country most consistently at the bottom of the ranking, regardless of the indicator used: first residence permits, asylum applications, Dublin mechanism. Other Central European countries (Czech Republic, Romania, Bulgaria, Estonia) share similar levels, but Slovakia stands out for the consistency of its position across all cross-referenced measures.
