Shock Figures: Just Two Families Reunited Under Germany’s New Migration Policy
Germany’s government has enforced a strict suspension of family reunification for people with subsidiärer Schutz (subsidiary protection), with only two visas granted despite more than a thousand completed hardship applications since the policy came into effect in July 2025.
According to a report by Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung, citing a government response to an inquiry by the Left Party, authorities have finalized 1,325 hardship applications related to family reunification. Out of these cases, only two resulted in a visa allowing relatives to join family members in Germany.
Clara Bünger criticized the outcome sharply, describing the results as “humanity in the per mille range.” The Left Party’s spokesperson on refugee policy said the extremely low approval rate confirmed earlier warnings that the hardship clause would function only as a symbolic measure rather than providing real humanitarian relief. She also noted that no positive decision for family reunification had been issued since mid-December 2025.
The government reported that by March 4, 2026, a total of 4,029 hardship applications had been registered indicating urgent or exceptional circumstances. The Internationale Organisation für Migration (International Organization for Migration – IOM), which handles interviews and processing of applications, conducted 1,559 interviews involving 5,465 individuals connected to these requests.
Germany’s Auswärtiges Amt (Federal Foreign Office) has completed preliminary reviews for 392 families involving 1,325 people. According to the government, the vast majority of these cases did not meet the criteria for a legally recognized hardship situation.
The suspension of family reunification forms part of a broader migration tightening agreed by the coalition government formed by CDU/CSU and SPD. Under the policy, family reunification for those granted subsidiärer Schutz (subsidiary protection) has been legally suspended from July 24, 2025, until July 23, 2027.
During this period, regular visas allowing spouses, minor children, or parents to join relatives in Germany are generally not issued, even when typical requirements such as sufficient housing and financial means are fulfilled. Only narrowly defined exceptions remain possible, mainly in urgent humanitarian situations or cases involving Germany’s political interests.