Aydan Özoguz at the German federal cabinet | Adam Berry/Getty Images German integration minister: We can’t ban all child marriage It may be ‘well-intentioned,’ but could leave women worse off, minister said.

Germany's minister for integration spoke out against banning marriage between minors in Germany, as discussion rages over how to integrate the large number of migrants who have arrived in the country over the last few years.

"A blanket ban on marriage between minors is perhaps well-intentioned, but in individual cases can also lead to women's social exclusion," Social Democrat Aydan Özoguz told Funke media group in an interview published Thursday.

"If the marriages are not recognized, women lose legal claims to child support and inheritance, their children become illegitimate, for many this would even make a return to their home countries impossible," Özoguz said.

In Germany, marriage is only legal between adults over 18, but some exceptions are made for those over 16. With a large influx of refugees over the past year, local authorities have registered several hundred wedding certificates for minors.

As of July 2016, the national central register of foreigners tallied 1,475 married youth in Germany. Most are from Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq. The number of marriages between German teenagers fell to 92 in 2015.

The issue has sparked debate around Europe. Despite similar laws that restrict marriage under the age of 18 in Denmark and Sweden, both countries make exceptions for migrants to protect children's legal rights.