Laura Block asks how liberal democracies manage torestrict migration in spite of liberal constraints. She analyses the politicaldebates surrounding spousal migration policies from 20052010 in Germany andreveals government strategies that restrict spousal migration while stayingwithin the discursive realm of individual rights. By circumscribing andscrutinising both the membership status necessary to access the right to familyprotection and the family ties in question, restricting spousal migration islegitimised.

LauraBlock works as a project coordinator for Arbeitsgemeinschaft der deutschenFamilienorganisationen (AGF), Berlin.

A theoretical framework for the analysis of spousalmigration policies.- Empiricaland legal realities of spousal migration to Germany.- TheEuropean dimension of family migration policies.- Politicaland institutional frames on spousal migration.- The other side: transnational couples andmigrant advocates perspectives.