As the first country in the European Union, Austria is about to suspend family reunification for those with asylum status, citing that the nation has reached its limits in terms of reception capacity. Scepticism remains regarding the measure’s effectiveness, even as right-wing factions in other European countries advocate for similar policies.
The measure was announced on Wednesday, March 26th, by the Minister for Integration Claudia Plakolm at the end of the Council of Ministers. The proposed suspension requires amending legislation to allow the issuing of a government decree on the matter. The suspension should come into force by May.
“We have reached the limits of our reception capacities,” explained the minister, who considers the measure necessary to “protect” the country and enable it to “preserve” its health and education system and its employment.
The Austrian government reports a clear increase in the arrival of family members of individuals granted asylum or a protective status. As a result, the country struggles to cope with the influx of refugees who have difficulty learning German or finding work, placing a strain on Austrian society. Under these circumstances, “the likelihood of successful integration decreases with each new arrival,” the minister warns.
NGOs responsible for receiving migrants are alarmed by the Austrian government’s decision, which they believe is not motivated by a situation that is out of control.
The Austrian government’s decision is readily understood within the context of its domestic political context. In the September legislative elections, the national right-wing party FPÖ emerged victorious. However, due to a lack of coalition support, the FPÖ did not come to power, because the centre-right ÖVP refused to collaborate with FPÖ, deeming them too far to the right. The ÖVP preferred to form a coalition with the Social Democrats and the Greens and thus secured the chancellorship. But the fact remains that the current chancellor, from the ÖVP, must contend with the FPÖ’s continued strong—and growing— popularity in Austrian opinion, and demonstrate his ability to respond to this section of the electorate.
The measure is only a temporary suspension, planned to last for only six months but with the option of being extended until May 2027.
The FPÖ has expressed scepticism about the fragile nature of the family reunification suspension announced by Plakolm, arguing that the government will eventually undermine its effectiveness. The party is calling for the outright abolition of family reunification.
The FPÖ is not the only party in Europe to call for an end to family reunification, which has existed in Austria since 1996. In Austria, family reunification accounts for around 30% of first residence permits granted—comparable with the European average. In Belgium, the figure is close to 50%. In Spain, the VOX party is campaigning for stricter conditions for family reunification. In France, Marine Le Pen’s Rassemblement National is also calling for a drastic restriction of the system, introduced in 1976 under President Valéry Giscard d’Estaing, which has been steadily increasing for several years. Its outright abolition was one of the measures supported by candidate Éric Zemmour during his presidential campaign in 2022. In January 2025, Minister of the Interior Bruno Retailleau published a circular addressed to regional and departmental authorities to limit its effects. The revocation of the whole system is meeting strong opposition from the Left, which views it as a fundamental human right that cannot be called into question—a right that is protected tooth and nail by the European Convention on Human Rights.