Briefing 2: Family reunion policies in Central Europe

A very strong positive correlation emerges between the non-EU family reunion rate and family reunion policies for 25 EU Member States in 2011, as measured by MIPEX. A correlation means that the two are somehow linked: A country’s non-EU family reunion rate is strongly connected to its policy. Countries with more inclusive family reunion policies tend to have higher non-EU family reunion rates (meaning it is more common for third-country nationals to reunite with their families). These countries appear in the top right corner of the chart: Sweden, Finland, Italy, Slovenia, Spain, Portugal, and, to a certain extent, the Czech Republic, Belgium, Hungary, and Luxembourg. Countries with more restrictive family reunion policies tend to have lower non-EU family reunion rates. These countries appear in the bottom left corner of the chart: Ireland, Denmark, Cyprus, Austria, Latvia, Malta, Greece, France, and, to a certain extent, Slovakia, Bulgaria, and Lithuania. This strong correlation across European countries holds for policies and rates in 2010, 2007/8, and for legal changes in 2011. Read more...