Initiative: Ehe ohne Grenzen

Since the new Asylum Law was passed in Austria in 2005, there has been a tendency to treat binational married and unmarried couples as “petitioners” in Austria. The Viennese action group Ehe ohne Grenzen (Marriage without Borders) is a self-help group for binational and bicultural (non-EU) couples that is trying to break out of this space that drastically curtails their rights. The couples concerned use the media and other activities in their fight against the perception and roles imposed on them. The group’s active members are all part of binational couples and “know exactly what they are talking about”. They contribute their experience and knowledge and show their own initiative. They demonstrated for the consistent recognition of the right to respect for family life in accordance with Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights outside the Ministry of the Interior and made a film in the parliament.