EU Court Rules Against Automatic Family Reunification for Refugees After 6-Month Deadline

This decision of the CJEU follows the request filed by an Afghan already benefiting from refugee status in Belgium. He had asked to bring his partner but his request was rejected due to the unestablished family ties between the two.

In addition, the Council of State had declared that the Belgian authorities had exceeded the six-month deadline before considering the request and that it had therefore reported an "implicit approval" of family reunification.

It is this disagreement that was brought before the court by the Council for Alien Law Litigation. On Wednesday, in its ruling, the Court of Justice of the European Union considered that Belgium does not have to issue a residence permit to a third party who does not meet the conditions imposed on family reunification.