Forced Marriage: Young People

(asked on 15th May 2019) - View Source

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to protect young adults from arranged and forced marriages.


Answered by
Victoria Atkins Portrait
Victoria Atkins
Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
This question was answered on 22nd May 2019

The UK is a world-leader in the fight to stamp out the brutal practice of forced marriage, with our joint Home Office and Foreign and Commonwealth Office Forced Marriage Unit (FMU) leading efforts to combat it both at home and abroad. We made forced marriage a criminal offence in 2014 to better protect victims, sending a clear message that this abhorrent practice is totally unacceptable and will not be tolerated in the UK. In 2017 we also introduced lifelong anonymity for victims of forced marriage to encourage more victims of this hidden crime to come forward.

An “arranged marriage” is one where parents or other relatives choose a potential suitor, but both parties involved have the final say and can withdraw at any point. As such, it is not illegal. If a person changes their mind during that process and then is not allowed to stop the marriage – this becomes a forced marriage and is unacceptable.

The FMU operates a public helpline to provide advice and support to victims, those at risk, and professionals. The support offered ranges from providing information and guidance to organising rescue and repatriation to the UK for victims overseas. In November 2018 we also launched the Forced Marriage Awareness Campaign, which highlights that forced marriage is a crime and directs victims to contact the helpline for support

Border Force officers at UK ports and airports are trained to look for those at risk of Honour Based Abuse (HBA), including forced marriage. Border Force conducts regular joint operations (‘Operation Limelight’) with the police at airports across the country to raise awareness with potential victims of HBA

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