Migrant Families in Germany Continue Dealing With Long Waits for Family Reunification Visas

Visa for family reunification enables those legally residing in Germany to bring members of their immediate family to join them, but the alternative has become a hassle, as the process is complicated and lengthy, making families wait for years in order to be reunited, AtoZSerwisPlus.com reports. 

Data from the German foreign office reflects the situation, showing that from the beginning of 2022 until mid-June, 4,527 visas for family reunification were issued. This indicates that the rates of issuance had slowed compared to last year, when a total of 9,891 visas were issued, being 54.2 per cent below the same period in 2021. 

According to Info Migrants, most family reunification visas are granted to people who are holders of subsidiary protection statuses – with the status being given to those who are considered at serious risk of harm if they return to their home country. 

However, subsidiary protection doesn’t qualify for refugee or asylum status, and those individuals aren’t allowed to bring their family members to Germany, with the decision being confidential to the authorities. 

Since 2018, the number of such visas – meaning visas issued to the relatives of those with subsidiary protection in Germany, has been limited to 1,000 per month, but this limitation hasn’t even been met in recent months. 

As the German Foreign Ministry has previously revealed, 5,934 visas for family reunification visas of subsidiary protection beneficiaries were issued in 2021, while 12,000 visas were possible. This means that the issuance rate is 50 per cent of the capacities, with these levels continuing to linger in 2022, too. 

The situation has sparked debate in Germany, with Pro Asyl, a refugee and asylum advocacy group, calling on the new coalition to honour its election promises to give everyone the same rights to family reunification, regardless of having subsidiary protection or refugee status. The group also called on the government to digitise the visa system. 

In addition, the German left party, Die Linke, recently brought to discussion the long waiting time for the issuance of such visas. The discussion followed reports that embassies in Islamabad and New Delhi, where many Afghan refugees were applying for family reunification visas, were scheduling visa appointments for March 2023 and more. 

The foreign ministry responded by saying that it was trying to keep the waiting time shorter and was going to prioritise visa appointments.