The government has presented a bill proposing amendments to the rules governing family reunification for parents and siblings of unaccompanied minor beneficiaries of protection in Norway.
The proposed changes include:
- Restrictions on family reunification: Parents and siblings would no longer be eligible for family reunification if the person in Norway has reached adulthood and established their own nuclear family through marriage, cohabitation, or a similar relationship before the family reunification application is decided.
- Best interests of the child: The bill proposes allowing authorities to refuse family reunification between an unaccompanied minor granted protection (asylum or collective protection) and their parents or siblings where reunification would not be in the child's best interests, including where it could expose the child to violence, abuse, or serious neglect.
- Consent requirement for minor siblings: Where a minor sibling applies for family reunification and only one parent has been granted residence in Norway, the proposal introduces a requirement for consent. The stated aim is to help prevent child abduction and avoid the family reunification process being used to resolve parental custody disputes.
Source(s)
- Government | Regjeringen (19 June, 2026), Ap-regjeringen foreslår endringer i regelverket for familiegjenforening [The Labour government proposes changes to the regulations for family reunification],