The government will ban marriage between cousins ​​- NRK Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country

Marriage between cousins ​​is not prohibited in Norway today. The government wants to do something about that.

Now Children and Family Minister Kjersti Toppe (Ap) and Labor and Inclusion Minister Tonje Brenna are sending the government’s proposal to amend the Marriage Act to the Storting.

In addition to banning marriages between cousins, the amendment also applies to marriages between other close relatives, as between aunt or uncle and niece or nephew.

– It is justified by the fact that it should reduce health risks in children, but it is also a consequence that it can discourage forced marriage, which we have been concerned about, says Toppe.

– Certainly a mixed reception

Already in 2020, Ap, Sp and Frp put forward a request decision to ban marriage between cousins. Only last year was the government’s proposal sent out for consultation, and several organizations have reacted that it has taken time.

Now the government will also introduce rules to prevent Norwegian citizens from going abroad to marry cousins,

– To prevent the ban being circumvented, the government proposes that marriages between close relatives under foreign law are not recognized in Norway, if one of the parties has connections to Norway when the marriage is entered into, says Toppe.

However, an exception rule is proposed, where you can apply for a dispensation if there are strong reasons for doing so.

Labor and Inclusion Minister Tonje Brenna says the proposal should not have retroactive effect for cousins ​​who are already married.

– Dan important factor here is consideration of children born to parents who are closely related, and the cultural aspect. In Norway, everyone should be able to live a free and independent life, make the choices they want, marry who they want, says Brenna.

Although first-cousin marriage was previously widespread in, among other Pakistani communities, figures from FHI show that the extent has fallen significantly in recent years (see fact box).

– How do you think this will be received in environments where it has been considered okay to enter into marriages between cousins?

– There is certainly a somewhat mixed reception in the environments for which this is most relevant. At the same time, I think that the important thing is that young boys and girls who feel pressured, they get it now – with the law in hand – a stronger reason to say no, if this is a current issue for them, says Brenna.

Disappointed with the proposal

In October, Norwegian-Pakistani “Aisha” said that she thought it was sad that several parties wanted to ban marriage between cousins.

One summer in 2007, she was in Pakistan and fell in love with her cousin. After just a few weeks, the two got married, she has told NRK.

“Aisha” is not her real name. She wishes to remain anonymous, because she believes there are many taboos surrounding cousin marriage in Norway.

Now “Aisha” says she is disappointed by the government’s wishes to change the Marriage Act.

– This is very shocking to hear. This means in reality that people have no rights to choose who they want to fall in love with, she says.

“Aisha” points out that she married for love. She believes it is important to distinguish between forced marriage, arranged marriage and cousin marriage.

– This is an incorrect use of resources by the government, she says.

– Do you think the government should postpone the ban?

– The government should not only postpone this, but end this chapter for good.

– Thorough assessment

FHI estimated in a note from last year that around 350 children are born annually to parents who are cousins ​​in Norway. This applies to parents who are both ethnically Norwegian and foreign.

– It has been pointed out in the consultation round that the extent of cousin marriage is decreasing. Why is a ban necessary?

– It has been a very thorough assessment. We have considered human rights obligations, we have considered the right to family life, but we have come to the conclusion that due to the health risks for children, we can introduce this ban, says Toppe.

– Does this not regulate whether cousins ​​have children together, without being married?

– This is a change in the Marriage Act, so it is quite right that it does not regulate who has children, whether you live together, and so on. But this is a very clear signal and a regulation in the Marriage Act that marriages between cousins ​​and other close relatives are prohibited, says Toppe.

Deformities

FHI has researched kinship between parents, and concluded that there is a higher probability of infant death and congenital malformations in children whose parents are closely related, compared to other children.

According to FHI, there is a doubling of risk, while the probability is still low. The conclusion is that this “does not constitute a public health problem”.

– It is still very important to have increased knowledge and that we build up our skills. Nevertheless, we believe there are grounds for introducing a legal ban. It will also be an important signal that this is not desirable and that we have a legal ban against it in Norway, says Toppe.

Will counteract coercion

FRP parliamentary representative Per-Willy Amundsen told NRK in October that a ban on cousin marriage would also be a good integration measure, “because cousin marriage often happens in connection with forced marriage and arranged marriage”.

Specialist in the investigation of crimes of honor at Stovner Police Station, Jasmina Holten, told NRK in 2022 that the police see a clear connection between forced marriages and cousin marriages.

– We know that in some environments both boys and girls are exposed to pressure related to both who they should marry and who they should not marry. Family is also important there. Having such a clear legal prohibition is both important in the sense of the law, but also a clear signal from Norway that we do not want that type of marriage here, says Brenna.

– Witch hunt

Despite the request decision from 2020, it was only in July last year that the proposal from the Ministry of Children and Families was sent for consultation.

Torunn Arntsen Sajjad is associate professor at Høgskolen i Innlandet.

Last year, Sajjad wrote an article together with two other professorswhere they advocated that cousins ​​should be allowed to marry. The chronicle authors have also written a consultation response to the government.

Sajjad spoke to NRK before the government’s proposal was made clear on Friday. She says she fears one the ban will lead to a witch hunt for people who are already married to their cousin in Norway.

– There are people who are cousins ​​who want to marry each other, because that is where they find love. Those who are already married in this way, and their children, are going to be further stigmatized when the relationship is criminalized.

– One of the arguments is that this is done to avoid forced marriage?

– It is emphatically argued that it is about children’s health. That is the most important thing in the consultation note that the ministry refers to. There is no clear research that shows that such a ban will contribute to less social control, says Sajjad.

– Not a public health problem

In his chronicle, Sajjad points out that the real figures for how many children are born with deformities or die in infancy after cousin marriage are very low.

– We have pointed out that this applies to very few children, and thus is not a public health problem. It can be a great tragedy for those affected, but the number of children involved is far too low for a ban to be an appropriate measure, says Sajjad.

Sajjad believes the ministry has placed too much emphasis on FHI research from the 90s when describing the harmful effects, and has looked too little at an FHI note from 2023 which shows that the extent is decreasing.

– I have been in contact with Norwegian Pakistanis who are horrified when they discover that the child has fallen in love with a cousin, and they have followed the debate in the newspapers. Then they believe that the child will have deformities. That’s not how it is.