(Reuters) Germany’s Bundestag lower house passed a bill on Friday to suspend family reunification for migrants who do not qualify for full refugee status, fulfilling a conservative election pledge to curb migration and ease pressure on integration systems.
Migration was a pivotal issue in February’s federal election, where the far-right nativist Alternative for Germany secured a historic second place with its anti-migration platform.
Germany currently hosts about 388,000 refugees with “subsidiary protection status,” a form of international protection granted to people who do not qualify as refugees but who still face a real risk of serious harm if returned to their home country.
The majority of those holding this status are Syrians.
