The number of foreigners staying in Hungary legally for over three months exceeded 220,000 in the first half of 2011, reports online portal Caboodle.hu quoting the immigration authority BAH.
Applicants for residence permits declined slightly, to 11,620 from 12,212 during the first six months of 2010, the authority said in its latest report.
The number of foreigners expelled, deported or arrested also decreased. In the first half of 2011, fewer than 1,700 foreigners were taken into custody in Hungary, down from 2,200 a year before.
The number of asylum-seekers showed a sharp decline, from 1,400 in the first half of 2010 to 770 during the corresponding period of 2011, BAH said.