Your future – what will it look like?
Does your family know what your wishes for the future are? For instance when it comes to education, career, and marriage.
Are there currently plans for your marriage being made against your wishes? It can be difficult to speak to family concerning marriage, love, and plans for the future. But it is important that you do.
Young how?
Time for education, friends, parties, relationships. These things may be the cause of conflicts in your family.
You may feel that you don’t have enough opportunities to see friends and do other things that you want to. Your family may have expectations for how you should act and live, that don’t at all match up with your own. Most families work these things out in a manner acceptable to all, but in some cases they can lead to serious problems
When problems grow out of hand
The discord within families may grow so great, that parents begin to speak of marriage because they don’t know where else to turn. If this happens in your family, or if pressure, threats, and isolation become parts of your daily life, it’s important that you have someone to discuss it with. Ensure that you won’t be alone with your thoughts.
Have you spoken to your family?
Make sure your family knows your plans for the future, and for marriage. Maybe you want to wait until you have completed your education. Maybe you want to decide for yourself who to marry when the time comes. Maybe you’re just not ready for marriage yet.
It is important that you discuss these things as a family, so that the choices made concerning education and marriage are genuinely right for you. In that way, you might also get misunderstandings out of the way before the problems grow out of hand.
Other people you could talk to
Have you already tried speaking to your family about your wishes and plans, without being heard? Other people might be able to help. Maybe a brother or sister, aunt or uncle, or someone else you can trust and confide in. Or you could try talking to a teacher whom you know well, a student counsellor, or your employer. You also have the right to anonymous counselling from your municipality (kommune). Maybe you need someone who will listen and understand.
Before it’s too late
It is important that you speak up before it’s too late. For your sake and for the sake of your family.
You have a right to make your own choices concerning marriage. You can call LOKK and speak to somebody about your thoughts and your situation. The phone number can be found at the bottom of the page.
Your rights
Article 16.1 of the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), adapted by the United Nations in 1979, states that “[men and women have] the same right freely to choose a spouse and to enter into marriage only with their free and full consent.”
Rules for family reunification
If you marry a foreign national living abroad, your spouse can only obtain family reunification if certain demands are met. Here, we mention only a few of the demands that may be of relevance to you.
For more information, see FINFO's section on family reunification or contact The Immigration Service (Udlændingeservice) at the following number: +45 70 26 28 18.
- Marriage must be voluntary and consensual.
- Both parties must be over the age of 24.
- The combined attachment of both spouses to Denmark must be greater than to any other country.
- The party residing in Denmark must document the ability to financially support both him/herself and the spouse he/she seeks reunification with.
Counselling for young people
If you need someone to talk to about your thoughts and your situation, you can call the number listed below. The conversation is confidential, and its content will not be revealed to any third party. You don’t even have to supply your name.
Hours
Mon-Fri 9am-3pm
Thursday also 7pm-10pm
Telephone: +45 70 27 03 06
LANDSORGANISATION AF KVINDEKRISECENTRE (National Association of Crisis Centres for Women)
LOKK Sekretariat
Applebys Plads 7, 3. sal
1411 København K
DENMARK
Telefon +45 32 95 90 19
