(Adnkronos) – Family reunification for migrants in Germany who only enjoy limited protection status – most of whom are Syrian – will be suspended for two years, according to a bill approved by lawmakers today. The bill put forward by the conservative government received the support of 444 members of the Bundestag, the lower house of the German parliament, where the majority is 316 votes. A total of 135 votes were cast against the bill, according to Bundestag Vice President Bodo Ramelow.
The proposal by Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt aims to suspend family reunification for two years for people holding the so-called “subsidiary protection status”, who are allowed to remain in Germany because of the threat of political persecution in their home countries, despite the absence of a formal refugee status. The bill estimates almost 400,000 residents enjoying subsidiary protection. About three-quarters would be Syrian citizens.
The law provides that these people will be able to bring close family members to Germany – spouses, children and, in the case of unaccompanied minors, parents – only in exceptional cases. Family reunification for people with subsidiary protection is already limited to a total of one thousand family members per month, unlike what happens for those who fall into the refugee category.
