Germany Nearly Halts Family Reunification Visas

Germany has granted almost no family reunification visas for humanitarian hardship cases since suspending family reunification for certain refugee groups in mid-2025, according to official government data.

In a response to a parliamentary inquiry by left-wing lawmaker Klara Bünger, the German government said that 2,586 hardship cases had been reported to the International Organization for Migration. However, by mid-December, the German Foreign Office had approved only two family reunification visas.

At the end of July 2025, Germany suspended family reunification for people granted so-called subsidiary protection for an initial period of two years. This status applies to refugees who cannot prove individual persecution in their home country but face serious general risks to life and safety, a category that includes many Syrians.

Under the suspension, family reunification is permitted only in exceptional hardship cases. These include reunification of spouses and minor children, as well as reunification of parents with unaccompanied minors. All other family reunification applications under subsidiary protection are on hold.

According to the government, hardship cases are first submitted to the International Organization for Migration, which verifies the facts before forwarding files to the German Federal Foreign Office. The government said most reported cases remain at the fact-finding stage, while around 90 cases are currently under review by the Foreign Office.

The German government has defended the suspension as a measure to ease pressure on refugee reception systems and integration services. Critics, however, argue that the rules are so restrictive that they are effectively unusable. Bünger has repeatedly warned that the policy is leading to prolonged separation of refugee families.

The suspension applies only to refugees with subsidiary protection status. It does not affect those granted full asylum or individuals protected under the Geneva Refugee Convention, who remain eligible for family reunification under existing rules.