News & Resources
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 27, 2026
MEDIA CONTACT
Spencer Tilger | media@refugeerights.org
ONE YEAR ON: GERMANY’S FAMILY REUNIFICATION SUSPENSION LEAVES FAMILIES IN LIMBO
New Report Finds Germany’s Hardship Procedure Fails to Meet Standard Set by European Court of Human Rights
(Berlin, Germany) — One year ago, the German government suspended family reunification for beneficiaries of subsidiary protection — people granted the right to stay in Germany because returning them would expose them to war, torture, or other serious harm. The policy has kept thousands of families separated from spouses, children, and parents fleeing danger. A new report by the International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) and Caritas Germany, Family Life on Hold: Germany’s Suspension of Family Reunification for Beneficiaries of Subsidiary Protection after One Year, provides the first comprehensive interim assessment of the suspension’s impact, drawing on IRAP’s direct legal representation of affected families and a Caritas survey of 292 refugee counselling centres nationwide.
As of June 2026, only ten of over 5,000 hardship notifications filed since July 2025 have led to a visa. This report examines why so few visas are granted, and finds that affected families do not have effective access to an individualized case assessment during the suspension, a safeguard required under the caselaw of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). Affected families must navigate an opaque process during which they are required to meet unattainably high standards to establish a hardship case. Germany’s hardship procedure falls far short of the standard set by the ECtHR, leaving families with effectively no legal recourse to address their separation.
“After one year, the evidence is clear: this policy is not delivering the individualized review that the law requires,” said Dr. Corinna Ujkašević, Supervisory Attorney at IRAP Europe. “Families who were separated while fleeing from war and torture are left waiting indefinitely, with no meaningful path to reunite with their loved ones.”
The findings carry wider significance for Europe. While Germany was among the first countries to restrict family reunification for beneficiaries of subsidiary protection, Belgium, Finland, and the Netherlands have all adopted similar policies since 2025, with Sweden likely to follow suit this August. Across Europe, there is a push to remove rights from beneficiaries of subsidiary protection and differentiate them from people with refugee status. The impact of Germany’s particularly strict approach should serve as a warning for countries considering similar restrictions. Its blanket two year suspension applies to families who have already been pursuing family reunification proceedings for years, leading to family separation periods of five years and more, making the need for a functional hardship procedure all the more urgent.
Additional Information
The International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) is a global legal aid and advocacy organization working to create a world where refugees and all people seeking safety are empowered to claim their right to freedom of movement and a path to lasting refuge. Everyone should have a safe place to live and a safe way to get there.
www.refugeerights.org
###