Germany Restricts Migrant Family Reunification, Tightens Citizenship Rules

Poland has launched an international information campaign targeting migrants in countries such as Afghanistan, Ethiopia, and Somalia, warning that illegal border crossings will not result in asylum, amid accusations that Belarus and Russia are orchestrating a hybrid operation to increase migratory pressure on the EU. Meanwhile, Germany, under the new conservative government of Chancellor Friedrich Merz, has approved measures to restrict family reunification for migrants holding subsidiary protection status and abolished the fast-track citizenship option for immigrants. These measures, including a two-year suspension on family reunification and reinstating a five-year residency requirement for citizenship, are aimed at reducing pressure on local integration infrastructure and curbing irregular migration. Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt emphasized that Germany’s capacity to integrate refugees has reached its limit, and these steps are necessary to ease the burden on municipalities. The measures align with Merz's campaign promises to tighten immigration controls, partly in response to the rising popularity of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which advocates for stricter immigration policies and deportations. While the government defends the reforms as pragmatic, human rights groups have criticized them for causing family separations and potentially increasing irregular migration.