Rarely has LOVE WITHOUT BORDERS received so much attention: The media reports about love in times of COVID-19 and the hurdles of seemingly insurmountable national borders which often separate families and deprive children of one parent.
"EHE OHNE OHNE GRENZEN" ("Marriage without Borders") has been supporting binational couples and families experiencing similar difficulties since 2006. But what distinguishes these couples from conventional families? Their different nationalities.
What means a state of emergency for some families in times of crisis is all too common for binational families, which encounter hurdles and clichés on a regular basis. Very often, they have to fight for a life together.
The Foreigners' Rights Act introduced in 2006 had a massive effect on the self-determination of binational couples in Austria. Marriage alone no longer establishes the right of residence and a joint family life.
Since then the initiative has been fighting against legal requirements that prevent binational families from being together. It has been providing free and confidential counselling for those affected. In 2019 alone, Marriage without Borders carried out more than 1300 consultations and thus helped numerous families with legal expertise.
Love does not stop at national borders. We declare 2020 to be the year of LOVE WITHOUT BORDERS, because it is time for love to grow beyond national borders. No family should be divided by the numerous barriers imposed by foreign law, which seriously endangers the well-being of children.
"Marriage without Borders" is based on the voluntary work of its members and depends on private donations. Every donation is an important contribution so that we can continue to bring families together in the future.
Thank you for your donation: https://www.respekt.net/de/projekte-unterstuetzen/details/projekt/2054/
http://www.ehe-ohne-grenzen.at
— Michael Wagner, DAA Call Hub Coordinator