Clare Fenwick and Ruben Faller
Maastricht University / UNU-MERIT
Contemporary migration patterns and immigration to the U.S. is largely shaped by family reunification as it is the most important channel for permanent legal migration to the country.
Markus Schindler
Maastricht University / UNU-MERIT
Austria’s family-reunification policies have come under increasing scrutiny, both by the local population and external observers. The Ministry of the Interior’s branch for immigrant matters is the Bundesamt für Fremdenwesen und Asyl (Federal Office for Foreign Affairs and Asylum, author’s translation). This department is the first instance for decisions on asylum and the right to stay on humanitarian grounds and, as such, at the centre of the migration debate. Continue reading
By Thomas Huddleston, MPG Programme Director on Migration and Integration
A 225€ fee for non-EU citizens’ residence permits would set one of the highest fees in the EU. The median fee in the EU is around 130€. While the Minister referred to France and Netherlands–neighbours with some of the EU’s highest fees–he skipped over neighbours with average fees: Germany (100-135€) and Luxembourg (50€). A 225€ fee could contravene EU law by acting as a disproportionate obstacle for low-income immigrants who meet all the legal requirements for family reunification or long-term residence.
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Written by Zvezda Vankova, Policy Analyst, Migration Policy Group
On 5th of February the South Korean Ministry of Justice announced that it will introduce a Korean language proficiency and income requirement for family reunion. According to a Ministry official, the reason behind this planned amendment is “preventing situations where people abuse marriage to South Koreans as a way of getting into the country”. MIPEX argues that this type of Korean language pre-entry requirement is more likely to be an obstacle to family reunion than a facilitator, setting slightly unfavourable conditions for spouses to learn Korean language. Continue reading
Written by Zvezda Vankova, Policy Analyst, Migration Policy Group
Hilkka Becker, Immigrant Council of Ireland, MIPEX national partner for Ireland
New Guidelines on Non-EEA Family Reunification were published by the Irish Government on the 31 of December 2013. According to the Minister for Justice, Equality and Defence, Alan Shatter, the guidelines “set out a comprehensive statement of Irish national immigration policy in the area of family reunification.” Our MIPEX partner, the Immigrant Council of Ireland (ICI), evaluated the document as “a positive first step” in developing a policy in this area but one that “leaves several important issues unresolved and will not bring clarity to many Irish citizens and legal migrants who have been separated from their loved ones.”
By Zvezda Vankova, researcher at the Open Society Institute Sofia, MIPEX national partner for Bulgaria**
Two years after Bulgaria has been assessed with the MIPEX for the first time, positive developments are registered only in two areas regulated by the acquis communautaire – family reunification and long- term residence. The legislative changes harmonizing Bulgarian legislation with the respective EU directives do not influence the overall MIPEX score of the country and have very limited impact on the integration policies for migrants in Bulgaria.
Written by Thomas Huddleston, MIPEX Research Coordinator, Co-author and Policy Analyst, Migration Policy Group
As of 9 July, the UK will have one of the world’s highest income requirements for people to reunite with their family. Continue reading
On 7 December 2011 the Migration Policy Group held a webinar ‘How to Respond to the EU Family Reunion Consultation‘ where Thomas Huddleston, MPG Policy Analyst and Central Research Coordinator of the MIPEX, presented the four MPG Briefings on Family Reunion and the relevant MIPEX data to assist organisation in drafting their own responses to the EU Consultation. (N.B. The deadline for responses to the Green Paper is 1 March 2012)
The webinar recording is available in two parts. Part 1 is a recording of the presentation by Thomas Huddleston outlining the questions from the EU consultation one by one, as well as presenting data relevant to the consultation. Continue reading
Written by Thomas Huddleston, MIPEX Research Coordinator, Co-author and Policy Analyst, Migration Policy Group
Most EU Member States do not let non-EU couples reunite if they do not–or cannot–marry. Can Member States work together to change these rules? Continue reading
Written by Thomas Huddleston, MIPEX Research Coordinator, Co-author and Policy Analyst, Migration Policy Group
Most EU countries require immigrants who want to sponsor their family to hold any type of legal residence permit for one year or less. According to the European Commission, long residence requirements and long lists of excluded permits may create implementation problems and delays, which undermine immigrants’ right to family reunion, enshrined in EU law. The OECD suggests that families who can reunite quickly will catch up more quickly in learning the language and adjusting to their new society. Continue reading