Germany issues 18,570 family reunification visas for protected migrants despite suspension

German authorities granted 18,570 visas for family reunification of persons with subsidiary protection, asylum or recognized refugee status between January 2025 and May 2026. The majority of these visas were issued before the July 2025 suspension of family reunification for subsidiary‑protected migrants took effect, or resulted from court rulings or commitments made prior to the law change. Syrians accounted for roughly half of the cases, followed by Turkish and Afghan nationals.

Overall, the Interior Ministry reported 128,358 family reunification visas issued in 2025 for third‑country nationals, including 67,831 for spouses and 54,882 for children. The largest origin countries were Turkey, Syria, India and Kosovo. By the end of May 2026 an additional 43,739 visas had been added. In 2025, 21,265 visa applications were rejected, with 9,126 rejections recorded up to the end of May the following year. The government argues that the suspension has had a limited effect on overall family migration.