The report examines the 2025 reforms to family reunification, which introduce stricter conditions, including shorter deadlines for family members of refugees to submit applications, new waiting periods for family members of beneficiaries of subsidiary protection and of third-country nationals with unlimited residence rights, stricter material conditions for family members of those regularised for medical reasons, an increase in the minimum age for spouses to 21, and higher financial requirements. The report notes that several civil society actors, as well as UNHCR, have expressed concerns about the potential impact of these new measures on the right to family life.

The report then turns to the latest data on family reunification, focusing on two main sources: first residence permits and visas issued for family reasons. Myria highlights three key points:

1. In 2023, 59.069 first residence permits were issued for family reasons. Nearly one-third went to individuals born in Belgium, while 40.382 permits were granted to people born abroad. Among these immigrants, 59% were third-country nationals (primarily Morocco, India, and Syria) and 40% were EU citizens (mainly from Romania, Spain, and the Netherlands).
    

2. Family reunification with beneficiaries of international protection represented 6.187 permits in 2023, approximately 10% of all first residence permits for family reasons.
    

3. In 2024, 21.832 visas were granted for family reunification, an 11% increase compared with 2023. Growth occured both for reunification with third-country nationals (+13%) and with Belgians or other EU citizens (+6%).

For further data, please read the thematic report below in French or in Dutch.