Eight years after the adoption of the European Directive on family reunification, where does this right stand?

Family reunification has been the way to come to Europe for around 500.000 people today...Wanna know more about diligent and negligent States? MIPEX (Migrant integration policy index) made an in depth study that breaks quite many stereotypes: would you say that Portugal is the EU Country better applying family reunion policies and that Ireland is the one applying it in the worst way? An overall ranking, elaborated by taking into account an average of several aspects going from conditions, procedures, limitations till integration measures, would put Portugal, Spain and Sweden top on the list, while Ireland, Denmark and Cyprus end of it.
Problem is, that those are not just figures and rankings: in the best of situations monitored by the study, families who have successfully reunited have a social stability, the same rights and duties as a European family, freedom of movement, short procedures, access to school, jobs and social programs; in the worst of cases, only traditional nuclear family is recognized, sponsor must pass very difficult conditions put by government, high income/stable job and high score on language tests are requested for family members and the latter cannot get an autonomous residence permit even in case the spouse dies, divorces or abuses. And this all is deeply affecting real lives of people...Read more