Latest news with #Bundestag
Al-Ahram Weekly
18 hours ago
- Politics
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Germany to restrict family reunification for refugees - International
German MPs agreed Friday to suspend family reunification rights for refugees without asylum status as conservative Chancellor Friedrich Merz's government pursues a crackdown on immigration. Under the legislation approved by the Bundestag, the process by which family members of refugees with subsidiary protection can apply to come to Germany will be suspended for two years. Refugees with subsidiary protection have not been granted asylum status but are given an initial right to stay in Germany for other reasons, such as the threat of torture or the death penalty in their country of origin. The government has said the suspension is necessary to lift pressure on Germany's immigration and integration services. Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt told deputies the change reflected the government's priority for "humanity and order" in immigration policy. While Germany remained open to the world, "the resilience of our social systems has its limits", Dobrindt said. Education, housing and care systems were all under pressure, he added. "Therefore, immigration to Germany must also have its limits." The current legal framework caps the number of visas issued to the close family of refugees under subsidiary protection to 1,000 a month. Suspending the right of family reunification would therefore lead to 12,000 fewer people immigrating to Germany each year, Dobrindt said. The change aims to eliminate a "pull effect" that draws migrants to Germany and supports the activities of human traffickers, he argued. Critics say that the right to reunification reflects a humanitarian principle and that refugees who live together with their families integrate better in society. Opponents of the legislation organised a protest outside the Bundestag on Thursday. "When we talk about good integration, the family comes first," Saeed Saeed, 25, one of the protest organisers who works with refugees in Magdeburg, told AFP. Wafaa Mohamed, 42, a dentist from Syria living in Germany under subsidiary protection, said: "We want to make our voices heard to the federal government: we cannot live here without our families." The legislation passed by MPs includes exceptions for hardship cases, such as family members in urgent need of medical care. It also states that the initial suspension should be reviewed at the end of the two-year period and could be suspended. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
The Sun
19 hours ago
- Politics
- The Sun
Germany limits family reunification for refugees in new immigration policy
BERLIN: German MPs agreed Friday to suspend family reunification rights for refugees without asylum status as conservative Chancellor Friedrich Merz's government pursues a crackdown on immigration. Under the legislation approved by the Bundestag, the process by which family members of refugees with subsidiary protection can apply to come to Germany will be suspended for two years. Refugees with subsidiary protection have not been granted asylum status but are given an initial right to stay in Germany for other reasons, such as the threat of torture or the death penalty in their country of origin. The government has said the suspension is necessary to lift pressure on Germany's immigration and integration services. Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt told deputies the change reflected the government's priority for 'humanity and order' in immigration policy. While Germany remained open to the world, 'the resilience of our social systems has its limits', Dobrindt said. Education, housing and care systems were all under pressure, he added. 'Therefore, immigration to Germany must also have its limits.' The current legal framework caps the number of visas issued to the close family of refugees under subsidiary protection to 1,000 a month. Suspending the right of family reunification would therefore lead to 12,000 fewer people immigrating to Germany each year, Dobrindt said. The change aims to eliminate a 'pull effect' that draws migrants to Germany and supports the activities of human traffickers, he argued. Critics say that the right to reunification reflects a humanitarian principle and that refugees who live together with their families integrate better in society. Opponents of the legislation organised a protest outside the Bundestag on Thursday. 'When we talk about good integration, the family comes first,' Saeed Saeed, 25, one of the protest organisers who works with refugees in Magdeburg, told AFP. Wafaa Mohamed, 42, a dentist from Syria living in Germany under subsidiary protection, said: 'We want to make our voices heard to the federal government: we cannot live here without our families.' The legislation passed by MPs includes exceptions for hardship cases, such as family members in urgent need of medical care. It also states that the initial suspension should be reviewed at the end of the two-year period and could be suspended.
Straits Times
a day ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
German lower house backs plan to halt refugee family reunification
People attend a protest against a bill suspending family reunification for refugees with subsidiary protection status in front of the Reichstag building, in Berlin, Germany, June 26, 2025. Banner reads \"Family life for all! Family reunification now\". REUTERS/Riham Alkousaa People attend a protest against a bill suspending family reunification for refugees with subsidiary protection status in front of the Reichstag building, in Berlin, Germany, June 26, 2025. Banner reads \"Families belong together\". REUTERS/Riham Alkousaa Former German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock is applauded after addresseing the parliament on the day Germany's lower house, the Bundestag, votes on a draft bill to suspend family reunification for two years for people granted subsidiary protection status to relieve pressure on Germany's reception and integration systems, in Berlin, Germany, June 27, 2025. REUTERS/Nadja Wohlleben German Chancellor Friedrich Merz speaks with Julia Klockner, President of the German Bundestag, before Germany's lower house of parliament, the Bundestag, votes on a draft bill to suspend family reunification for two years for people granted subsidiary protection status to relieve pressure on Germany's reception and integration systems, in Berlin, Germany, June 27, 2025. REUTERS/Nadja Wohlleben Members of the Bundestag vote during Germany's lower house session in Berlin, Germany, June 27, 2025. REUTERS/Nadja Wohlleben BERLIN - Germany's Bundestag lower house passed a bill on Friday to suspend family reunification for migrants who do not qualify for full refugee status, fulfilling a conservative election pledge to curb migration and ease pressure on integration systems. Migration was a pivotal issue in February's federal election, where the far-right nativist Alternative for Germany secured a historic second place with its anti-migration platform. Germany currently hosts about 388,000 refugees with "subsidiary protection status", a form of international protection granted to people who do not qualify as refugees but who still face a real risk of serious harm if returned to their home country. The majority of those holding this status are Syrians. Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said the new bill was necessary because Germany's integration capacity, especially in education, childcare and housing, had reached its limit. "Immigration must have limits, and we are reflecting that politically," he told the Bundestag during a heated debate ahead of Friday's vote. Some 444 lawmakers supporting the bill, while 135 voted against it. The upper house of parliament, the Bundesrat, which represents Germany's federal states, is expected to approve the bill in July, paving the way for it to become law. Dobrindt said suspending family reunification would help deter illegal migration by disrupting smuggling networks, which often rely on sending one family member ahead to later bring others. Berlin initially suspended family reunification for this group in 2016, amid a surge of over 1 million arrivals when then-Chancellor Angela Merkel opened the border for those fleeing war and prosecution in the Middle East and beyond. It was partially reinstated in 2018, capped at 1,000 visas per month. 'I CAN'T SLEEP' Tareq Alaows, refugee policy spokesperson for the pro-immigration advocacy group Pro Asyl, said the group was reviewing the bill's constitutionality and will support legal action for affected individuals if rights violations are found. Ahmad Shikh Ali fled to Germany from Aleppo two-and-a-half years ago, and his family, still stuck in Turkey, had only two cases ahead of them in the reunification queue to be processed and granted a visa to Germany before this law was introduced. "Since I learned of this decision, I can't sleep, I can't get on with my life," Shikh Ali said, breaking into tears in front of the German parliament on Thursday where he gathered with dozens of other refugees protesting the law. "My son was crawling when I left him, he is walking now," he said, holding a blurry photo of his 3-year-old son. He said returning to Syria - where an Islamist government has taken power following the fall of veteran leader Bashar al-Assad last December - was not an option as the security situation remained unstable. At the migration office in the city of Hanover where Shikh Ali lives, he was told that changing his status after finding full-time employment was not possible. "I can't go back to Syria, I can't go back to Turkey, I don't have any options, this is what suffocates me," he said. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Reuters
a day ago
- Politics
- Reuters
German lower house backs plan to halt refugee family reunification
BERLIN, June 27 (Reuters) - Germany's Bundestag lower house passed a bill on Friday to suspend family reunification for migrants who do not qualify for full refugee status, fulfilling a conservative election pledge to curb migration and ease pressure on integration systems. Migration was a pivotal issue in February's federal election, where the far-right nativist Alternative for Germany secured a historic second place with its anti-migration platform. Germany currently hosts about 388,000 refugees with "subsidiary protection status", a form of international protection granted to people who do not qualify as refugees but who still face a real risk of serious harm if returned to their home country. The majority of those holding this status are Syrians. Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said the new bill was necessary because Germany's integration capacity, especially in education, childcare and housing, had reached its limit. "Immigration must have limits, and we are reflecting that politically," he told the Bundestag during a heated debate ahead of Friday's vote. Some 444 lawmakers supporting the bill, while 135 voted against it. The upper house of parliament, the Bundesrat, which represents Germany's federal states, is expected to approve the bill in July, paving the way for it to become law. Dobrindt said suspending family reunification would help deter illegal migration by disrupting smuggling networks, which often rely on sending one family member ahead to later bring others. Berlin initially suspended family reunification for this group in 2016, amid a surge of over 1 million arrivals when then-Chancellor Angela Merkel opened the border for those fleeing war and prosecution in the Middle East and beyond. It was partially reinstated in 2018, capped at 1,000 visas per month. Tareq Alaows, refugee policy spokesperson for the pro-immigration advocacy group Pro Asyl, said the group was reviewing the bill's constitutionality and will support legal action for affected individuals if rights violations are found. Ahmad Shikh Ali fled to Germany from Aleppo two-and-a-half years ago, and his family, still stuck in Turkey, had only two cases ahead of them in the reunification queue to be processed and granted a visa to Germany before this law was introduced. "Since I learned of this decision, I can't sleep, I can't get on with my life," Shikh Ali said, breaking into tears in front of the German parliament on Thursday where he gathered with dozens of other refugees protesting the law. "My son was crawling when I left him, he is walking now," he said, holding a blurry photo of his 3-year-old son. He said returning to Syria - where an Islamist government has taken power following the fall of veteran leader Bashar al-Assad last December - was not an option as the security situation remained unstable. At the migration office in the city of Hanover where Shikh Ali lives, he was told that changing his status after finding full-time employment was not possible. "I can't go back to Syria, I can't go back to Turkey, I don't have any options, this is what suffocates me," he said.
The Independent
a day ago
- Politics
- The Independent
German lawmakers vote to suspend family reunions for many migrants
German lawmakers voted Friday to suspend family reunions for many migrants, part of a drive by the new conservative-led government for a tougher approach to migration. Parliament 's lower house voted 444-135 to suspend the possibility of family reunions for two years for migrants who have 'subsidiary protection,' a status that falls short of asylum. At the end of March, more than 388,000 people living in Germany had the status, which was granted to many people fleeing Syria 's civil war. New Chancellor Friedrich Merz made tougher migration policy a central plank of his campaign for Germany's election in February. Just after he took office in early May, the government stationed more police at the border and said some asylum-seekers trying to enter Europe's biggest economy would be turned away. The bill approved Friday is the first legislation on migration since Merz took office. It will suspend rules dating to 2018 that allowed up to 1,000 close relatives per month to join the migrants granted limited protection, with authorities making case-by-case decisions on humanitarian grounds rather than granting an automatic right for reunions. Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt told lawmakers that the change would result in 12,000 fewer people being able to come to Germany each year and 'break a business model' for smugglers. People often know they won't get full recognition as refugees, 'but they set off for Germany because it is known that, even without asylum recognition ... you can have your family follow," Dobrindt said. "That is a significant pull effect and we are removing this pull effect today.' Dobrindt said 'our country's capacity for integration simply has a limit.' Liberal opposition lawmakers decried the government's approach. Marcel Emmerich, of the Greens, described the legislation as 'an attack on the core of every society, on a truly central value — the family.' 'Anyone who wants integration must bring families together,' he said. The far-right, anti-migration Alternative for Germany described the move as a very small step in the right direction. German governments have for years faced pressure to curb migration as shelters across the country filled up. The administration of Merz's predecessor, Olaf Scholz, already had taken some measures including the introduction of checks on all Germany's borders. Asylum applications declined from 329,120 in 2023 to 229,751 last year and have continued to fall this year.
