Families play a crucial role in migration/ relocation decisions and longer-term integration. Decisions to migrate, settle or return are generally made as part of a household unit, taking into account the interest of the family as a whole. The presence of partners, children, and parents can also make a huge difference to how migrants fare in their country of destination, often promoting integration in health and social systems, education, housing, and local communities. Family migration is defined through national policy frameworks and may vary between countries.
In general, family migration falls into three main categories of admission:
Family formation: This occurs when a resident national or foreigner with residency rights marries, forms a civil partnership or other recognized family relationship with a foreigner, and sponsors that individual for admission or status change.
Family reunification: This refers to family members, also referred to as ‘dependants’, who migrate after the arrival of a principal migrant who sponsors their admission. The family ties predate the arrival of the principal migrant.
Accompanying family refers to family members (dependants) admitted together with the principal or main applicant.
Migration laws in countries of destination determine which migrant family members can move and settle, and under what conditions. Procedures on entry define which family members are qualified for family migration, and who can serve as a ‘sponsor’ for family reunification or be joined by a partner from overseas. Such rules often set attainment requirements (e.g. income thresholds), and several conditions such as age requirements (e.g. a maximum age for children to join their parents). National protocols also determine the rights of migrants and their families once they have arrived, including their length of stay, access to work, access to social and public services, and pathways to permanent settlement and citizenship.
In comparison to other OECD (organization for economic cooperation and development) countries, the UK has relatively generous provisions on who may apply to enter or reside in the UK as family members, with the scope including
unmarried/cohabiting partners as well as same-sex couples. However, the UK has a minimum income requirement of £18,600 for sponsors to form or reunite with family from overseas policies on family migration; this rises to £22,400 for a partner and one child, and a further £2,400 for each additional child. This condition has been widely chastised as encroaching on the rights of children and family life. Moreover, it raises equality issues, creating disparities in opportunities for family migration across income groups.
According to the widely respected Migrant Integration Policy Index, out of the 58 countries included, the UK ranks second from the bottom for provisions on family reunification. The countries ranking highest are Sweden, Finland, Portugal, and Canada.
