ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the practice of applying DNA profiling in family reunification cases in the context of Austrian immigration policy and management. It analyses how DNA testing is perceived and deployed by different actors in the field. The chapter focuses on interviews and document analysis. The document analysis yielded interesting features of the use of DNA profiling for family reunification. The chapter reviews and analyses relevant documents dealing with parental testing in the immigration context such as laws, guidelines, directives, minutes of parliamentary debates, government and expert committee reports, NGO documents and media reports. The chapter argues that in practice only refugees are subjected to DNA profiling in family reunification. It uses the term 'recognised refugee', rather than sponsor, to draw attention to an experience of having to flee from one's home country which is shared by the group of persons under this law.
