Migration: Familiennachzug: SPD kritisiert Regelung als zu streng

One year after the temporary halt to family reunification for refugees with limited status, the SPD fraction has criticized the regulation as too strict. According to Rasha Nasr, the policy spokesperson for migration, the limited number of successful applications does not mean they were unfounded. Nasr stated that the restrictive regulations, particularly the long separation periods for children and parents, are unreasonable and disproportionate.

She emphasized that the regulation cannot be extended beyond two years and urged preparations for pending applications as the regulation is set to expire in summer 2027. Nasr also argued that refugees are better integrated when they know their families are safe and with them.

Truels Reichardt, the children's commissioner of the SPD fraction, echoed similar sentiments. He called for a comprehensive restoration of family reunification in the RND and questioned the constitutionality of the regulation. Reichardt stressed that the special protection of family is enshrined in the Grundgesetz, and only the core family, i.e., parents with their underage children, should be reunited.

The regulation primarily concerns the families of so-called subsidiary protected beneficiaries, who are not eligible for asylum or refugee protection but may remain in Germany due to threat. Only in exceptional cases can relatives join them. Since the temporary stop of family reunification, only a few visas have been granted for hardship cases.

In the first year after the temporary halt, only 13 such visas were issued, according to the German Foreign Office. The hardship procedure, according to the federal government, involves notifying the International Organization for Migration, which then assesses the circumstances. The dossier is then submitted to the Federal Foreign Office.