European Commission – Germany
Some specialised editorials supported the European Commission’s position (click here and here). Other media ran stories about the test’s impact. Migazin analysed its impact on German politics on family reunion. Click here for the full CDU/CSU statement against the EC’s position and a critical editorial from Bavaria.
 
The German government has sent its official response that the test sufficiently allows for an individual assessment of each case and clear exceptions, which was denounced as false by the Left (Linke) spokesperson (see link and letter). Linke’s criticism was noted in editorials in Migazin and the SudDeutsche Zeitung. Both the EU and German letters discuss a particular court case of an illiterate Turkish woman.
 
European Commission – Netherlands
EU Commissioner Reding visited the Netherlands because the EC is considering to start an infringement procedure due to violations of EU law on family reunion, according to a Dutch Green MP. The State Secretary responded that he will report back on this issue later to Chamber.
 
European Court of Justice
Official English translation of request for preliminary ruling in Marjan Noorzia v. Bundesministerin für Inneres: ‘Is Article 4(5) of Council Directive 2003/86/EC of 22 September 2003 on the right to family reunification (1) to be interpreted as precluding a provision under which spouses and registered partners must already have reached the age of 21 years at the time at which the application is submitted in order to be considered to be entitled to join other family members?

 

 
Czech Republic
Immigrants share their experience of the family reunion legislation: see summary and articles with several personal testimonies (in English and Czech)
 
France
Interior Minister Valls made an oral statement (through not in the written version of the speech) in a closed-door seminar of Ministers on ‘France in 2025’ that a demographic boom in Africa would require France to rethink its migration policy in the next 10 years and that ‘family reunion could be revisited’. Valls claimed that his remarks were manipulated by the press but reaffirmed that ‘all of our migration policies must be reconsidered and, among others, the question of family reunion can be posed’.  The statement by association ‘France Terre d’Asile’ recalled all the statistics about massive projected population growth around the world, adding ‘Family reunion…is very controlled in France (conditions on residence, resources, housing) and concerned 13,362 people in 2012. Is this really the challenge that the Interior Minister wanted to raise?’ Valls’ comments drew many angry reactions from other ministers and politicians. Prime Minister Hollande ended the debate stating that no family reunion reform is planned for this year.
 
Germany
Comparison of German parties’ electoral positions on family reunion, integration, and citizenship: No mention of family reunion in CDU/CSU or FDP program. SPD wants to ‘facilitate’ family reunion, while Greens want to ease back language requirement to comply with EU law and the Left (Linke) and Pirate parties would abolish the pre-entry language test.
 
Netherlands
A critical Children’s Ombudsman report of Dutch family reunion law is at first dismissed by the government as unsubstantiated and selective but later used to claim that the Ombudsman has seen recent improvements since publication of the report
 
A bill has been proposed fighting identity fraud in immigration procedures, including the use of biometric data in family reunion
 
Norway
Populist ‘Progress Party’ (polling around 15% of the vote) promises to halve migration and decrease family reunifications from 12,500 to 2,800
 
Poland
Polish experts identify practical obstacles to family reunion, while immigrants share their experience of the family reunion legislation: see summary and articles with testimonies (in English and Polish)
 
Romania
2013 Immigrants Integration Barometer finds that family reunion, a major reason for immigration into Romania, raises procedural issues, especially long waiting periods for different institutions, especially from the Ministry of External Affairs
 
Spain
New report on the entitlements and restrictions for family migrants (for similar reports on Germany, Netherlands, and UK, click here for the IMPACIM project)
 
Sweden
Migration Board is looking at other countries’ responses to Syria in its consideration of future practices on assessing applications from Syrian asylum seekers, which will have an effect on family reunification applications, expected to increase for Syrians by 2,100 persons over the next three years. New applications are being drawn up for 2013 and 2014.
 
Switzerland
Some Swiss cantons are systematically demanding DNA tests for family reunion, particularly for Eritreans affected new asylum practices
 
United Kingdom
Government responds to All-Party Parliamentary Group’s report on new family reunion restrictions
 
Chairman of Commons Home Affairs Committee claims wives of British citizens make fake allegations of rape or assault to obtain permanent residency
 
Home Office consultation to restrict access to NHS for reunited non-EU family members: either to pay ‘migrant health levy’ or to have private insurance
 
Shadow Immigration Minister calls for new measures against sham marriages
 
Migration Watch report and Daily Mail describe EU free movement as ‘Migration Loophole’ ‘letting in 20,000-a-year’. In response, Home Office spokesmen mentions recent change strengthening residence testing and limiting benefits