As one of the main avenues for legal migration to the EU, family reunification accounts for approximately 30% of Third -Country Nationals' (TCNs) arrivals. This study of the European Migration Network (EMN) identifies both common and diverging policies and practices among EU Member States and Norway in this area. It covers EU and international legislation, definition of family members, access to the right to family reunification, requirement for application and other other rules.

The study finds that, in spite of the large wave of TCNs applying for asylum in Europe, beneficiaries of subsidiary protection appear to benefit from a similar level of legally-ensured protection as refugees. Although beneficiaries of subsidiary protection are not within the scope of the Family Reunification Directive, most Member States not only extend the right to family reunification to them, but often do so under the same conditions as refugees. Both refugees and beneficiaries of subsidiary protection have consequently continued to benefit from more favourable family reunification rules as compared to other categories of migrants. Though income requirements are at an exceedingly high level in some Member States.

The Study also gathers statistics from both EU and national level sources but highlights that there is lack of comprehensive and comparable data on the nature of family reunification as well as on key characteristics of sponsors and their family members.