The German government on Wednesday adopted measures restricting family reunification for migrants and delaying access to citizenship, continuing a major overhaul of migration policy under conservative Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
The government approved a two-year suspension of the right to family reunification for migrants who do not have full refugee protection but have so-called “subsidiary protection.” About 380,000 people, mostly Syrians, have this status.
So far, subsidiary protection has allowed about 12,000 family members to come to Germany each year to join their relatives.
According to the draft law, the temporary suspension is intended to “relieve pressure on the German reception and integration system” and is “an adequate way to quickly relieve the burden on municipalities.”
The government also abolished the possibility of accelerated citizenship after three years of residence, extending the minimum waiting period for citizenship to five years.
