Disrupted flight - The realities of separated refugee families in the EU
Based on the experiences and expertise of the European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE), the Red Cross EU Office and their member organisations, this report analyses the reality of family reunification in Europe for a particularly vulnerable group of migrants, people in need of international protection. It offers an overview from a practitioner’s perspective of the national practices in relation to family reunification with regard to beneficiaries of international protection.
All the organisations that have contributed to this report are particularly concerned about the inadequacy of the currrent family reunification procedures for beneficiaries of international protection across Member States. According to the Family Reunification Directive, more favourable rules should be applied to this target group to enable them to enjoy their right to family life. This should translate into exemptions and derogations to the rules set out in the Directive for refugees who apply for family reunification. From the experience of practitioners, it appears however that current national practices remain inadequate to address the situation and the specific needs of people benefiting from international protection in the EU.
