Plan to partially stop the reunification of refugee families
The German government is preparing to make a decision to stop family reunification for refugees with subsidiary protection, who do not hold the status of official refugees under the Geneva Convention, but are at risk of death, torture, or inhumane treatment in their home countries. The decision will be presented to the Cabinet for approval on Wednesday, as confirmed by a spokesperson for the German Ministry of the Interior.
Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) will present the bill, aiming to suspend family reunification for this category for two years. Dobrindt told the "Bild am Sonntag" newspaper: "We used to allow 1,000 people to enter monthly under this right, but that will stop now," adding that this is part of a new policy to regulate immigration and stop incentives for irregular migration to Germany.
Only difficult humanitarian cases will be exempted from this decision, and they will be evaluated individually. The decision will not take effect until it is approved by the German Parliament (Bundestag) and the Federal Council (Bundesrat).
It is noted that this new approach contradicts what was agreed upon in the government contract in 2021 between SPD, Grünen, and FDP, which stipulated the complete reopening of family reunification for this category. However, this has not been implemented in practice.
In contrast, more than 30 non-governmental organizations have called on the government to reverse this decision, warning of its social and humanitarian consequences for refugees living in Germany without their families, especially from Syria.