More than 13,000 husbands and wives of asylum seekers in Germany failed their bid to join their spouses in 2022 -- due to a lack of sufficient language skills. Critics say that the language requirements set by the government are too stringent to be in line with EU law.
Yonas is an Eritrean refugee in the UK. A year ago, he began to gather evidence to apply for family reunification for his two younger brothers, who had fled from Eritrea to Sudan. He submitted the documents to the UK government in April 2023. Then conflict broke out in Sudan, and Yonas has not heard from his brothers for over two weeks.
The British charity RAMFEL is helping ten families in the UK who are trying to get their unaccompanied child refugee relatives out of Sudan. Eight of the families are Eritrean, and two are Sudanese. InfoMigrants talked to RAMFEL's Head of Campaigns, Nick Beales.
EU countries are not allowed to insist that applications for family reunification are made in person at a diplomatic post. The European Court of Justice ruling comes after Belgian authorities refused to register an application by a woman and her two young children from war-torn Syria.
A 2017 law invalidating all marriages where a participant is under 16 is unconstitutionally vague, the court said. Lawmakers will have until mid-2024 to clarify the statute.
Love kept at a distance: German national Linda Wendt is fighting to establish a life in Germany with her husband. But he cannot move here without first passing a language test. A major problem — but not an isolated case.
The Netherlands has suspended a controversial restriction on the rights of recognized refugees to reunite with their immediate families. The change of course came after the highest court in the country ruled on Wednesday that the restriction on the right to family reunification of people with asylum status was unlawful.
On Wednesday, the Dutch government announced it would be turning back restrictions it had placed in 2022 on family reunions for asylum seekers who had been granted residency in the Netherlands. The temporary suspension will last until a definitive ruling is made by the Dutch courts.
Restrictions imposed by Dutch immigration authorities on family reunions for asylum seekers are illegal under Dutch, European and international law, a court has ruled.
Waiting times for family reunification visas in Germany are getting longer, despite a pledge by the Scholz government to make the process fair and more efficient.
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has overturned a German rule on family reunification, thereby strengthening the rights of underage migrants. It ruled that the German practice of denying minors in Syria to reunite with their family in Germany violates EU law.
Thousands of Afghans are still having to wait for an appointment to apply for a German visa to join their families, who have already left the country. The security situation as well as human rights in Afghanistan have worsened since the August 2021 takeover by the Taliban.