Austria's government decides: Marriage ban for minors and relatives!

Austria's government decides: Marriage ban for minors and relatives!

Österreich - Austria today decided to tighten the marriage law comprehensively. A new draft law sets the marriage age without exceptions to 18 years. This law, which was decided on Wednesday in the Council of Ministers, stipulates that marriages are fully banned between cousins. The step aims to combat forced marriages and relatives dependency relationships. Previous special permits for marriage proposals from the age of 16 with parental approval have been abolished, which significantly tightens the regulations.

The Minister of Justice Alma Zadic (Greens) emphasized that the measure makes an important contribution to the fight against forced. Family Minister Susanne Raab (ÖVP) sees a decisive measure against child and forced views in the regulation. According to the new law, the birth certificates of the parents must also be presented at civil weddings in order to check relatives. DNA tests are not explicitly intended.

Details on the new regulations

The new rules are designed to strengthen the legal framework and the social standards in Austria. In the future, only marriages may be recognized that correspond to the law of the country of residence. This also applies to marriages that were closed by minors or near relatives abroad, which are no longer recognized. The deletion of exceptions is also linked to Unicef's demands for a global minimum age for marriage.

In addition, Zadic emphasizes that the raising of the married age for 18 years offers young people in Austria and matches international human rights standards. In the future, courts will have to check whether the marriages of minors or relatives are recognized abroad in Austria, whereby aspects such as child welfare and the "Ordre public clause" must be taken into account.

research on forced marriages in Austria

The current legal changes are in the context of ongoing research on forced marriages and dependency situations in marriages in Austria. These contain human trafficking, staying stays and children's marriages. Interdisciplinary research projects, such as the Caritas Vienna and various universities, are designed to develop practice -oriented options for action. The focus for 2023 is on right -wing analyzes and surveys on the current challenges, while for 2024 the development of recommendations for action and tools to raise awareness on the agenda.

The measures that Austria is now taking are not only a reaction to current social problems, but also part of a comprehensive approach to strengthen the rights of those affected and to combat forced marriages.

Austria will take a step towards a more responsible worm law that is more focused on the protection of minors and respect for human rights. Further developments in this area are eagerly awaited.

Details on the legal changes can be found in the reports of Kurier , while the comprehensive studies on forced marriage in Austria on the side of the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Basic and Human Rights can be found.