Germany: Family reunification is suspended for two years for refugees with limited protection status

The lower house of the German federal parliament decides to suspend family reunification.

Family reunification will be suspended for two years for refugees with limited protection status. A majority in the lower house of the German federal parliament (German Bundestag)voted in favour of a government bill to this effect. The debate became heated at times, the “Bundestag“ has decided to suspend family reunification for refugees with limited protection status.

The quota for relatives of refugees with subsidiary protection living in Germany is no longer to be fulfilled for two years, and the parliament voted on the bill by Federal Minister of the Interior Alexander Dobrindt by roll call. 444 MPs voted in favour of the measure, 135 against, as Bundestag Vice President Bodo Ramelow (Left Party) announced.reunification only in cases of hardship, unlike for other recognised refugees, reunification for people with limited protection status is already limited to 1,000 relatives per month. In future, beneficiaries of subsidiary protection, which include many civil war refugees, will only be allowed to bring their spouses, underage children and, in the case of unaccompanied minors, their parents in cases of hardship, beneficiaries of subsidiary protection do not have full refugee status.

In Germany, these are around 380,000 people, mainly Syrians. In contrast to refugees and persons entitled to asylum, the legislator has more room for manoeuvre here. To date, a total of 12,000 members of this group have been allowed to join their families each year, and those who are recognised as asylum seekers or refugees under the Geneva Refugee Convention may continue to bring their close relatives to join them.

Sharp criticism from the Evangelist/Protestant Church

The law to suspend family reunification is the first major migration policy project of the new German government, which has pledged to limit migration. The plans have already been criticised in recent weeks - the Protestant Church has also taken a clear stance. ‘It is a commandment of charity that refugees should not be separated from their closest relatives for years,’ said the Church's refugee commissioner, Berlin Bishop Christian Stäblein, to the Tagesspiegel newspaper. He also said. ‘Those who are allowed to live with their neighbours in safety find support more quickly, learn our language more easily, can integrate better and are more likely to become part of our society.’

Francis Tawiah (Duisburg, Germany)