Emergency phase - eruption in Reykjanes

What is a forced marriage?

Forced marriage is when a person has not agreed to marry but does so to gain benefits for themselves or the oppressor. This is human trafficking because someone benefits from what the person is exploited to do.

You could be in a forced marriage if:

  • You are threatened with violence or other means to marry someone you do not want to marry.
  • You are forced to marry someone who benefits by getting a esidential permit or citizenship.
  • You did not know you were getting married.
  • You cannot talk about your marriage with others
  • You were promised a residential permit, citizenship, or money in exchange for getting married.
  • Somebody else benefits from you marrying without your will.

In Iceland, both women and men have the right to choose who they wish to marry, they decide for themselves who their future spouse will be. No one may be forced into marriage.

Are you in a forced marriage? Contact 112 and get help.

Know the methods of exploiters

The methods of exploiters are well known. If you recognize the symptoms and methods of human trafficking, you increase the possibility of dissolving it.

Available support

See all support

Women's Shelter

The Women‘s Shelter offers counseling and a safe place to stay for any woman who has experienced abuse in a close relationship.

Women's Shelter in Akureyri

The Women's Shelter offers counseling and a safe place to stay for any woman who has experienced abuse in a close relationship.

Police

The police in Iceland help people who have suffered abuse of any kind. Police see abuse in close relationships as a very serious matter.

Honor based abuse

Honor-based abuse is when someone, usually a close relative, inflicts abuse on you to protect the honor of the family, for example forcing you to marry. When honor is set above your human rights, that is abuse.

Manneska situr á hnjánum á gólfinu. Hún er leið á svip, með lokuð augun og höfuðið lítur niður til jarðar.

Sexual exploitation

Sexual exploitation is when a person benefits from selling access to another person's body.