Danish parties seek to ban cousin marriages

The Social Democrats, Venstre, and the Moderates, Denmark’s ruling parties, advocate for banning cousin marriages, a practice common in some immigrant communities, prompted by similar developments in Sweden and Norway. Mohammad Rona of the Moderates sees no reason for cousins to marry and wants Denmark to align with its Nordic neighbors. Frederik Vad from the Social Democrats argues such marriages perpetuate social control and present big challenges, both socially and biologically. Hans Andersen of Venstre favors a ban, particularly to address forced marriages and negative social control. While EU countries lack such a ban, Norway has recently prohibited cousin marriages, and a Swedish committee suggests a ban in response to honor-related violence, especially affecting women and girls in these unions.