Norwegian authorities recognise more under-age marriages

Asylum seekers in the arrival Center for refugees in Kirkenes.Photo: Cornelius Poppe / NTB scanpix

Norway has since 2014  recognised eleven marriages where one of the parties have been under the age of 16 .

From late 2014 until today , the Directorate of Immigration (UDI) have had 50 family reunification in which one of the spouses was under 16 when the marriage took place,  ABC News informed the UDI.

– The UDI was intructed by the Ministry to recognised  eleven cases of marriage where one party was under 16 years old when the marriage took place. Many cases are still under consideration said a senior adviser at UDI, Rolf Henry Anthonisen.

The law in Norway states that the lower limit for recognised marriages entered into abroad is 16 years, but according to UDI marriages can exceptionally be recognised even if one or both parties were under 16 years of age when the marriage took place.

In a  UDI evaluation consideration should be given to whether the parties are equal in age and development, the parties’ age at the time of application, if there has been a long time since the marriage took place and whether they have any children.

 

Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today

 

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