24 year rule

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The 24 year rule is a Danish law that aims to cut down on forced marriages and family reunification immigration.

The law poses four requirements

Age - Non-resident spouses can only be united and thus cohabit with their spouse living in Denmark, when both parties have reached the age of 24 years.
Ties - The couple’s aggregate ties to Denmark must be stronger than those to the country of origin. However, the demands of aggregate ties are not applicable to people, born in Denmark or people who acquired Danish citizenship as young children and have lived in Denmark for more than 28 years.
Economy - The Danish spouse must prove he can financially support the new couple.
Residence - The couple must show that they own or rent a residence of at most two people per room, and at least 20 m². a person.

The law draws criticism from Human rights organizations.

The law has also been criticized by anti-immigration activists, saying it is not fulfilling its purpose. Instead of cutting down on forced marriages, girls are now being forced by their parents to either move back to their homeland, or to other, more lenient countries, such as Sweden.^[1]