REVEALED: Number of residency permits issued in Europe reaches record high

European Union countries issued 3.9 million new residence permits to non-EU citizens in 2025. This represents a 10 percent increase compared to 2024, and is the highest level since records began, according to The Local Germany.

The summer holiday period from July to August saw Europe's skies busiest ever, with an average of 35,959 flights a day, a 2.4 percent increase on 2025, according to Eurocontrol data. A record 37,640 flights were recorded on Friday 10 July.

Despite disruptions caused by the Middle East war, 72.6 percent of flights arrived on time, up 1.2 percentage points on 2025, Eurocontrol reported. France accounted for 32 percent of all delays caused by air traffic control management problems.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Local Germany, The Local Germany, Euronews — 3 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.