International families

Due to globalization there is an increasing number of families with international aspects. Think of a married couple in which one spouse is Dutch and the other is Polish, or a Dutch couple with children who settle in Sweden for a new job. Several questions arise: what is the relationship between EU rights and family law? How is private international law influenced by human rights and the right to the free movement of persons?

Hanneke van Eijken researches EU citizenship in relation to social rights, the right of residence and family ties. The interaction between European and national standards and the case law of the European Court of Justice is especially of interest in this regard.

In the ‘Empowering European Families’ project, Wendy Schrama led a large comparative study of the national family law and private international law that applies to spouses, registered partners and unmarried cohabiting couples.

As a criminologist, Brenda Oude Breuil conducts research in the field of human trafficking, prostitution, and the exploitation of minors for criminal purposes, in which border crossing is an important factor. She is currently preparing research into the transnational reproductive market.

Christina G. Jeppesen de Boer specialises in comparative family law and conducts research into new forms of administrative and digital family authorities.