The German Bundestag has suspended family reunification for refugees with subsidiary protection for two years. The parliament is thus implementing the will of the federal government. This means that only refugees who have been recognized as entitled to asylum or refugees within the meaning of the Geneva Refugee Convention will be able to bring their spouses or minor children to Germany. Exceptions will only be made in cases of hardship.
Up to 1,000 visas per month
According to the Central Register of Foreigners, 388,000 people with subsidiary protection were living in Germany on March 31 of this year. Most of them come from Syria, Somalia, Yemen, or Afghanistan. However, it is not known how many of them already live with their immediate family in Germany. Until now, up to 1,000 visas for family reunification could be issued each month. Subsidiary protection is granted to persons who are at risk in their country of origin but have not been recognized as entitled to asylum or have not been granted protection under the Geneva Refugee Convention. According to the federal government, around 3.5 million refugees were living in Germany at the end of 2024, including more than one million refugees from Ukraine. The new regulations do not affect them.
Most visas for people from Syria
According to Mediendienst Integration, 54,600 relatives of refugees have received visas for family reunification so far this year, the vast majority of them – 8,500 – going to Syrian families. But only 5,800 of the entry permits were for relatives of persons entitled to subsidiary protection. Mediendienst Integration writes the following about the figures for the group of persons entitled to subsidiary protection: “Between 2018 and 2024, a total of around 58,400 visas were issued – that is about eight percent of all visas for the purpose of family reunification during this period. More than 80 percent of these visas went to relatives of Syrian citizens.” Last year, a total of 120,000 visas were issued for family reunification. Media Service Integration | What does the end of family reunification mean?
Only the Left and the Greens are against it
Family reunification for people with subsidiary protection was introduced in 2015 and suspended again in 2016. The regulation has been in force again since 2018. The federal government hopes that the new ban will lead to a decline in migration and savings. The Interior Ministry wants to save 3.2 million euros this year and up to 46 million euros by 2026. The Left Party and the Greens voted against the regulation in the Bundestag, which they consider inhumane. Some members of the AfD faction voted in favor, while others abstained.
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