Family reunification: a barrier or facilitator of integration?

This publication presents the outcome of a comparative study on familyreunification policies in six EU Member States: Austria, Germany, Ireland,the Netherlands, Portugal and the United Kingdom. The study examinedthe way in which family reunification policies have developed over the pastdecade and the positions governments have adopted regarding four mainrequirements: income, pre-entry test, age and housing. Furthermore,the study analyses the application of these requirements in practiceand how their application is perceived by the family members. Based onstatistics and interviews, the authors draw conclusions on the impact ofthe applicable requirements on migrants and their family members in theMember States included in this study. Considering the recognition at EUlevel that family reunification is regarded as beneficial to the integration ofmigrants, this study seeks to clarify whether or not national policies serveto promote or hinder family reunification and contribute to the integrationof migrants and their family members.