# Expert Warns Austria Family Quotas Violate EU Law

November 3, 2026 at 04:15 PM

> Law professor Franz Leidenmühler warns Austria's plan to limit family reunification to 314 places annually may trigger EU legal action.

**Franz Leidenmühler**, head of the Institute for European Law at **Johannes Kepler University Linz**, has criticized the **Austrian** government's plan to quota family reunification. The **Interior Ministry** aims to limit entries to 314 places for both 2026 and 2027.

The federal government suspended family reunification in March 2025, citing an overburdened social and education system. A new settlement ordinance draft from October 2026 seeks to regulate the number of family members allowed to enter via strict quotas.

Leidenmühler argues these quotas violate EU law, which guarantees an individual right to reunification. He notes the **European Court of Justice** limits public order exceptions, warning that Austria may now face formal infringement proceedings from the EU.


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