In Sweden, marrying your first cousin has long been legal, though as in the UK it is widely frowned upon. Yet in response to the growing number of cousin marriages in Sweden after a rise in migration, the government has announced plans to ban the practice next year. A Bill is currently being drafted. In Norway, a ban on cousin marriage was adopted this summer. Denmark may soon follow in the footsteps of its Nordic neighbours.
Despite cousin marriage being a well-known issue, for too long any debate on this subject has been shamefully sidelined
The reason for the move is the same in all the Nordic countries; within certain large immigrant communities, the practice of cousin marriage remains common. In parts of the Middle East and North Africa, up to half of all marriages are between relatives. Pakistan, which has a significant immigrant population in the UK, has one of the highest prevalence of cousin marriages in the world.
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