Family separation and family reunion for refugees: The issues

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 Definition of family

Likewise, many refugee communities and service providers have expressed concerns regarding the narrow definition of family and policies which prevent family members proposing their adult children because they are over 18 and no longer considered ‘dependent’. The definition of ’immediate family’ has a restrictive definition based on the Western concept of the nuclear family. These narrow definitions do not reflect the family compositions of many refugee communities, leaving people unable to sponsor their family members where they are not considered immediate family.