Family migration in Europe: policies vs. reality

Family-related migration has become one of the main legal means for people to gain admission. Yet, current political and public debates increasingly see the ‘migrant family’ as an obstacle to integration. As a result, family-related modes of migration are more and more becoming subject to restrictions. This brief maintains that the assumptions underlying state policies as well as public debates on family-related migration do not do justice to the reality of family migration. The brief makes several suggestions to improve family migration related policies