In 2016, the number of foreign immigrants in Luxembourg decreased from 22 600 to 21 600, after six years of increase. Departures have been on the rise since 2012, reaching 11 400 in 2016. Consequently, net migration fell to its lowest level in six years. Of the 22 900 immigrants who entered Luxembourg in 2016, 5% were Luxembourgish, 70% other EU nationals and 25% were third-country nationals. Total net immigration accounted for 82% of the population growth (84% in 2015).
In 2016, first residence permit issues increased by more than 9% (5 000), mainly owing to 740 salaried workers (23%) and a threefold growth in immigrants granted refugee status (720). The largest category, third-country national family members, fell by 8% to 1 200, as did long-term residents, to 800. Overall, US citizens, Syrians, Chinese and Indians remained the leading nationalities.
The number of new foreign students registered increased by 2% in 2016/17, having decreased by 4% to 1 500 in the academic year 2015/2016. Students from EU countries account for more than three-quarters of the total foreign enrolment.
As of January 2016, 48% of Luxembourg’s residents were foreigners. Representing a third of the 281 500 foreign population (35%), Portuguese remained the largest group, followed by French (16%) and Italians (8%), while the most numerous third country nationals were Montenegrins and Poles. The number of Syrians grew to 1 400 in 2016 from 150 in 2015.
According to the Labour Force Survey, for the first quarter of 2017, 44% of the resident working population were nationals of other EU countries, and 6.5% were third country nationals. In addition, cross-border workers represented 45% of the labour force, more than half of whom were French.
Applications for international protection registered by the Directorate for Immigration, which had peaked at 2 500 in 2015, fell to around 2 000 in 2016. The profile of those seeking international protection in Luxembourg changed considerably from 2015. In 2016, Syria remained the first region of origin (14% of the total), followed by Albania (11%), Kosovo (10%), Iraq and Serbia (8%). While in 2015, refugee status was granted in 16% of the decisions taken, this percentage increased to 33% in 2016.
In the context of the EU-Turkey statement of March 2016 regarding the resettlement and readmission of Syrian nationals, Luxembourg pledged the resettlement of 190 Syrian citizens, completed by 2017. Luxembourg also resettled 28 refugees from Turkey and Lebanon. Within the framework of the EU Council decision to relocate 160 000 international protection applicants from Greece and Italy, 550 people had been relocated by the end of 2017.
Since 2016, the government has launched two integration projects: “Welcome to Luxembourg”, a pilot project focused on the integration of asylum seekers with a focus on equal opportunities between men and women, and the “Guided Integration Trail” or PIA (Parcours d’intégration accompagné), a project that aims to start the integration process from the arrival of asylum seekers in Luxembourg. Since launching in September 2017, 266 asylum seekers have participated in the first phase of the project, which consists of 9 hours of Luxembourgish courses and 8 hours of courses that focus on the daily life in Luxembourg, such as their rights, duties and equal opportunities, among other things. Furthermore, in September of 2017, a new multiannual national action plan on integration was approved, the two axes being the reception and follow up of asylum seekers and the integration of non-Luxembourgish residents.
In December 2017, a project for new public international schools and additional primary/post-secondary international English-speaking classes was adopted to encourage foreign investors, companies or professionals to settle with their family in Luxembourg.
The University of Luxembourg created an ‘integration office’ to facilitate the university entry of applicants and beneficiaries of international protection, by offering them individual support. Refugees and asylum seekers can follow courses as guest attendees and after receiving international protection status may register for a study programme.
Following the outcome of the 2015 referendum in Luxembourg on the granting of voting rights to foreign residents, the length of residence required for naturalisation was reduced from seven to five years, a right of birthplace for the first generation introduced and a simplified way of acquiring Luxembourgish nationality by ‘option’ reintroduced. Language and other requirements were modified to ensure that a basic level of Luxembourgish and civic knowledge is acquired.
With the immigration influx in 2015/2016, the number of third-country nationals in an irregular situation increased substantially, making return policy a priority. Following the significant increase of unfounded applications, a number of administrative changes were introduced in the international protection procedure. On April 2017, a new emergency accommodation centre for applicants falling under the Dublin Regulation became operational.
