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Focus on Family Reunion (summary)

family-reunion-summaryMPG has produced series of policy briefings to help policymakers and stakeholders to respond to the European Commission’s November 2011 Green Paper on the EU Family Reunion Directive 2003/86/EC.

This Directive establishes the right to family reunion for non-EU sponsors and their families with key objectives of promoting integration and comparable rights and obligations.

While the future for immigrant families in Europe remains unclear with the current political climate and impact of far right parties, most Member States today still have policies that the Migrant Integration Policy Index (MIPEX) finds are ‘slightly favourable’ for family reunion. The average EU country goes beyond the Directive’s minimum standards. The Commission’s 2008 Application Report identified key national weaknesses in transposition.

An updated briefing paper was published in November 2012 on family reunion rates and policy effects.

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