Europe could soon legalise polygamy if the ECHR passes a landmark ruling in a case which has been branded "cultural suicide".
Khaled Al-Anesi, a Yemeni migrant granted asylum in the Netherlands after the Arab Spring in 2011, has brought a case over whether having multiple spouses is legal before the European Court of Human Rights.
Initially, Mr Al-Anesi brought his first wife and their eight children to the European country under family reunification rules.
Although he did not ask to bring his second and third wives with him knowing polygamy is illegal in the Netherlands, he did request for his five other children with these women be allowed to join him.
Authorities refused the request, citing the prohibition of polygamy and the fact the children already enjoyed a high quality of living with their mothers in Turkey - where they were all refugees.
Dutch authorities suggested he divorce his other two wives to allow the children be brought over, but he refused.
When requesting family reunification for the first time, Dutch authorities told him to choose which of his wives he wanted to bring to the country, along with their children.
He initially made his choice, but is now suing his host country for violating his right to respect for his family life.
Europe could soon legalise polygamy if the ECHR passes a landmark ruling on Khaled Al-Anesi's families
|GETTY
It is thought Mr Al-Anesi's plan had been to bring his children over, and then bring their mothers over in their name.
If the mothers' journey to the Netherlands is sought by their minor children under the grounds of family reunification, it cannot be rejected on the grounds of polygamy being prohibited.
This is the first time the European Court has agreed to make a ruling on a case about polygamy.
Discussing the case, Former Home Secretary Suella Braverman said: "We don't have to live like this.
THE EUROPEAN CONVENTION ON HUMAN RIGHTS - READ MORE:
Suella Braverman said the UK should leave the ECHR | PA"Europe doesn't have to commit this cultural suicide. It's time to leave the ECHR."
The European Centre for Law and Justice, a Christian legal advocacy group, said: "This case raises several major issues in the human rights system and the Court's thinking."
Raising one such issue, it said: "The Court has so deconstructed and expanded the concept of family, in the name of individual freedom, that it obviously extends to polygamous families and protects them.
"Thus, for the Court, states should recognise 'unusual family relationships' and accept 'the fact that there is not just one way or one choice when it comes to leading one's family or private life'."
The organisation said the case raised another issue within the human rights protection system, namely "its blindness to the indignity of the applicant's attitude".
It added: "He was welcomed and given financial assistance by the Netherlands when he fled Yemen.
"The Netherlands provided him with material assistance and then allowed him to be joined by his wife and eight children, who benefited from the living conditions of Dutch society.
"Ungrateful, he is now attacking his 'benefactor' to claim the 'right', of which is allegedly unjustly deprived, to bring the other members of his family to immigrate."