My boyfriend is being deported and is demanding I marry him to keep him here
A 20-year-old woman, referred to as OP, has been in a relationship with her 22-year-old boyfriend for six months.
The relationship recently faced a severe complication when the boyfriend was found to be at risk of deportation from the country where they currently live.
To avoid deportation, the boyfriend proposed that he and the OP enter into a marriage of convenience to help him secure legal status.
This proposal requires the OP to manage significant legal changes, including changing her name on all official documents, while she is still a student living at home.
When the OP refused this plan, the boyfriend argued that because she is his girlfriend, she has an obligation to agree, leaving the OP conflicted about his demands and her commitment to the relationship.
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The OP is currently in a difficult position where her boyfriend is pressuring her to make a life-altering legal commitment under duress due to his immigration status.
Her refusal stems from practical concerns about her education and living situation, as well as the seriousness of marriage itself, while the boyfriend views her refusal as a failure of commitment to their relationship.
The core debate is whether a romantic commitment implies an obligation to undertake significant legal risk and life changes for a partner facing a crisis, or if the OP is fully within her rights to set firm boundaries regarding marriage.
Readers must consider where the line between support and undue pressure lies in a six-month relationship.
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