Marie Beyrich examines the proverbial contrast between the “law in the books” and the “law in practice” when it comes to reunifying refugees with their families. Focusing on real-world administrative challenges, it shows that despite legal provisions, implementation faces immense problems and bureaucratic hurdles. Closed embassies, long waiting times, poor communication, and unreliable documents conspire to complicate the process, meaning that smooth procedures are rare, and that many applicants fail, give up, or do not even try to assert their rights when confronted with these barriers.