The ‘stacked’ family reunification, in which family members of status holders traveling in turn bring family members over, does not happen often. The Immigration and Naturalization Service (IND) received 880 applications over the past five years, of which it granted 350 requests. This is evident from a report published on Friday research of the service. This concerns 1 percent of all subsequent travelers.
Last summer, the government fell over asylum policy, in particular the extent to which family reunification should be restricted. The VVD took a tough stance at the time and believed, among other things, that the so-called ‘reunion upon reunification’ should be curtailed. In an interview with de Volkskrant VVD leader and outgoing minister Dilan Yesilgöz (Justice and Security) said that it would involve “thousands of people”. That turns out not to be true.
The IND explains that a refugee can travel if he or she belongs to one family that has already received a residence permit. Sometimes the family member submits an independent asylum application after arrival in the Netherlands, in order to apply for family reunification again after obtaining a permit. This occurs, for example, when a young adult child comes to the Netherlands as a follow-up traveler and then brings his or her own family over. According to the IND, travel in connection with family reunification is “undesirable”, but “not prohibited”. However, the service may see it as abuse of the procedure, which could lead to withdrawal of the residence permit.
Right to family reunification
In addition to family reunification, there are also other forms of multi-layered family reunification, such as an appeal to the right to family life. A so-called ‘8 ECHR’ application, named after the article of law in the European human rights treaty, occurs, for example, in the case of a minor following family member who has come to the Netherlands at the request of one parent, brother or sister and who subsequently submits an application for a parent who is not part of the is more part of the family. Such stacked applications were received by the IND 1,410 times between 2019 and 2023, of which 430 were granted. No decision has yet been made in 350 cases.
The cabinet fall in July revolved around a quota that the VVD wanted to introduce on the number of subsequent travelers. If it were up to the party, a maximum of 250 subsequent travelers per month would from now on be allowed to enter the Netherlands. That demand was a bridge too far, especially for the Christian Union. Negotiation documents later showed that the VVD measure would have made a difference of 1 to 2 percent of total immigration, while ideas had been discussed for labor migrants that in some cases would lead to more migration.
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Asylum measure that led to the fall of the government had made a difference of 1 to 2 percent of total immigration