Council of State: court verdicts on family reunification limitation not suspended

On 29 December 2022, the Administrative Law Division of the Council of State ruled that the court verdicts from the court of Amsterdam and Middelburg about the family reunification limitation will not be suspended. The State Secretary of Justice and Security requested the Council of State suspension in a preliminary procedure.

The requests of the State Secretary were refused based on weighing the interests of the Dutch government against the individual interests of the family at stake. The judge ruled that the interests of the individual family weighed heavier than the general interest of the Dutch government.

One of the two cases concerned a political refugee with Turkish nationality and his family with two very young children. They are being represented in this procedure by their attorney Eva Bezem.

The Council of State will make a final verdict on the lawfulness of the measure created by the Dutch government to postpone family reunification in the new year.

The press release by the Council of State is available here (only in Dutch): https://www.raadvanstate.nl/actueel/nieuws/@134745/rechtbankuitspraken-over-nareismaatregel/. 

The judgment of the Council of State is available here (only in Dutch): https://www.raadvanstate.nl/actueel/nieuws/@134743/202207400-2-v1/.