terre des hommes and PRO ASYL are demanding immediate improvements to family reunification from the German government
With a joint action in front of the Bundestag, children's and human rights organizations remind the German government of its promise
Osnabrück/Frankfurt, May 15, 2023 – On the International Day of Families on May 15 terre des hommes and PRO ASYL are calling on the German government to finally fulfill its promise from the coalition agreement to facilitate family reunification. Under the motto #ForgetMeNot, activists across Germany are emphasizing this by handing their members of parliament a forget-me-not flower. The central action in Berlin will remind the government of its promise with a sea of 416 forget-me-nots – one for each member of parliament – and the presentation of a flower to parliamentary group representatives in front of the Reichstag building.
Currently, tens of thousands of families separated by flight and persecution are waiting to be reunited in Germany. Legal regulations, in particular, prevent their family reunification from happening quickly, securely, and humanely. For example, for war refugees granted subsidiary protection, reunification is limited to 1,000 people per month and is subject to additional conditions. Unaccompanied minor refugees, who may have fled alone from countries like Afghanistan or Somalia due to the threat of forced recruitment or marriage, have a right to family reunification for their parents, but not for their siblings. Lengthy procedures due to a lack of digitalization and slow-moving authorities delay family reunification by several years in some cases, keeping those affected in a seemingly endless state of waiting.
“Every day that refugee children and young people are separated from their families is one too many,” explained Sophia Eckert, migration and refugee policy advisor at terre des hommes . “This applies not only to spouses, parents, and children, but also to siblings. The narrow legal definition of family under immigration law, which excludes siblings, is outdated. Over two-thirds of those surveyed support family reunification for siblings, and 96 percent—virtually all respondents—stated that, in their opinion, siblings belong to the core family. As part of the core family, they, too, must finally be granted the right to join their families, just like parents. The corresponding provisions in the coalition agreement must be implemented immediately,” Eckert concluded.
In its 2021 coalition agreement, the German government promised to address the described shortcomings, facilitate family reunification for those granted subsidiary protection and for siblings, and accelerate and digitize procedures. However, these promises have not yet been implemented through legislation.
“The necessary improvements to family reunification were one of the central promises of the coalition agreement on asylum issues. It is outrageous that the federal government is further delaying these improvements and is instead planning new restrictions on deportation detention. The fact that people who have fled to Germany from countries like Afghanistan or Eritrea have to wait several years for their children or spouses is a catastrophe for them personally and for integration policy,” commented Wiebke Judith, legal policy spokesperson for PRO ASYL.
The coalition agreement offered a glimmer of hope for tens of thousands of families separated while fleeing. It is currently impossible to predict when this plan will finally be implemented. terre des hommes and PRO ASYL call on the German government to end this untenable situation and, through appropriate legal changes regarding family reunification, finally give due consideration to the right to family life of those affected and the associated rights of children.
Various organizations, local initiatives, and activists across Germany are participating in the #ForgetMeNot campaign. A central event is taking place in front of the Bundestag in Berlin
What? Public rally, flower distribution, and photo opportunity.
Where? On the Reichstag lawn in front of the Bundestag, Berlin.
Who? PRO ASYL, terre des hommes , other civil society organizations, and members of parliament from the governing parties.
When? Monday, May 15th
- From 12:00 PM: Start
- Until 12:30 pm: Speeches by terre des hommes , PRO ASYL and the Eritrean Family Reunification Initiative
- From 12:30 pm: Handover of flowers and demands to MP Hakan Demir, Deputy Spokesperson for Migration Policy (SPD), MP Helge Lindh, Rapporteur for National Refugee Law (SPD), MP Nina Stahr, Member of the Family Affairs Committee and Spokesperson for Education Policy (Alliance 90/The Greens), FDP (invited)
- From 1 p.m.: Distribution of the remaining flowers in the government district
Further information about the Forsa survey can be found here .
Background information about the campaign can be found on the #ForgetMeNot campaign page . An overview of case studies of separated families can be found there and here .