The German parliament has passed a law, previously supported by the government, that suspends family reunification applications for migrants without refugee status in the country.
The law, passed by 444 votes to 135, prohibits migrants with subsidiary status from seeking reunification with their spouses and minor children for two years, after which the applications can be reviewed.
The family reunification law applies to people who have not been granted full refugee status but are allowed to stay in Germany due to risks such as political persecution, torture or the death penalty in their home countries.
The Bild newspaper reported on June 20 that around 1,000 people are entering Germany per month under the family reunification program for beneficiaries of subsidiary protection. In 2023, around 326,000 people had this status, and that number is expected to rise to 351,000 in 2024. They are mostly from Syria and Afghanistan.
In May, German media reported that German police, as part of a tightening of migration regulations, were not allowing refugees to enter the country, except for those who are protected under a special status of vulnerable people – pregnant women, the sick and unaccompanied minors. Drones, helicopters and thermal imaging cameras have been deployed to combat illegal migration.
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrint withdrew an unwritten police order from 2015 not to turn away undocumented migrants, including asylum seekers, at the country’s borders.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, after coalition talks, promised to intensify efforts against illegal migration, including stricter border controls and coordinated deportations with neighboring countries.
