Last year, Germany granted far fewer family reunifications for beneficiaries of subsidiary protection than would have been possible by legal means. However, according to a Left Party politician, this isn't entirely the fault of the COVID-19 lockdown.
The risk of COVID-19 in their country of origin can be considered a reason to grant migrants humanitarian protection in Italy, a Milan court has ruled. Meanwhile, new data shows that more than 34,000 migrants and refugees arrived on Italian shores in 2020.
Germany's interior ministry warns in a paper that there could be a rise in so-called "secondary migration" of recognized refugees traveling from Greece to Germany. According to reports, there already has been a rise in asylum applications of recognized refugees coming from Greece.
Mohammed Tahseen Beik is Syrian. He was a student in Syria when in early September 2015 his father convinced him to leave Syria for Germany. He was interviewed by the press as he arrived and again now. Five years on from Angela Merkel’s famous phrase: "Wir schaffen das" (We can do it), is Mohammed happy in Germany?
Between August 2019 and June 2020, Germany gave out almost 6,000 family reunification visas to family members of refugees and those with subsidiary protection in Germany. These numbers remain below the government limit -- partly due to the travel bans during the coronavirus pandemic.
Around 1.83 million people who sought protection on international, humanitarian or political grounds were registed in Germany in 2019, only slightly more than in the previous year. The majority came from Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq.
Germany issued over 11,000 visas to family members of refugees with subsidiary protection last year. While the number increased compared to the previous year, the government quota of 1,000 visas per month was not reached.
The number of asylum seekers receiving benefits decreased considerably in 2018. According to the Federal Statistical Office of Germany, the number went down by 12%.
One year after the introduction of family reunifications for refugees who have been given subsidiary protection in Germany, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) called for the German government to also recognize siblings as family members that could become eligible for reunification.
While the processing of family reunification applications for those with subsidiary protection in Germany seems to finally be on track to meet the government's goal, the allocation of 1,000 slots per month is more or less exhausted for the first half of this year. Last year, the German government missed its target of processed applications, but left-over slots apparently won’t roll over into this year.
It usually takes several years of someone living in a country before one can apply for citizenship. But that exact time period depends on the country and how someone is legally defined. InfoMigrants takes a look at the regulations in several countries in the European Union including Germany, France, Sweden and Denmark.
Refugee status and subsidiary protection are not necessarily permanent. Under what circumstance can these statuses be revoked?