Germany has announced a two-year suspension on family reunification rights for a specific group of migrants, in a new migration law passed by the Bundestag on June 27. The move, which received support from a large majority of lawmakers, will affect migrants granted “subsidiary protection” — individuals not formally recognised as refugees but still at risk of serious harm in their home countries.
The new measure was backed by 444 votes to 135, with support from the ruling Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union (CDU/CSU), the Social Democratic Party (SPD), and the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). Opponents of the bill included the Greens and other left-wing parties who condemned the measure as harsh and symbolic.
Currently, over 381,000 migrants hold subsidiary protection in Germany, 78% of whom are from Syria. These migrants had previously been allowed to bring family members — spouses, children, and parents — to join them in Germany, under a yearly cap of 12,000 individuals introduced in 2018. With the new law, this right is now temporarily suspended, though exceptions will still be allowed in hardship cases, such as underage children or the parents of unaccompanied minors.
Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said the decision is part of the government’s new strategy under Chancellor Friedrich Merz to tighten migration policy. He argued that Germany’s social, education, and housing systems are overstretched. “Only one person has to make it to Germany, then the whole family can follow,” he said, stressing the policy aims to reduce incentives for illegal migration and people smuggling.
However, critics say the suspension will do little to change the overall migration picture. Law professor Hansjörg Huber described the policy as “purely symbolic,” arguing that blocking 12,000 family reunifications annually will not significantly reduce migration pressures. With over two million asylum applications recorded in Germany since 1990, Huber suggested the law lacks any real impact on the broader system.
AfD representatives, though supportive, also criticized the measure as being insufficient, calling it merely a “tiny step” in controlling migration. Meanwhile, the Greens’ MP Marcel Emmerich called the move “merciless,” warning it could further traumatize migrants already fleeing hardship.
Why did Germany suspend family reunification for some migrants?
Germany suspended family reunification for migrants with subsidiary protection to ease pressure on social services, housing, and schools, and to curb incentives for illegal migration. However, critics argue the move is more symbolic than effective.