Forced Marriages in the UK

The UK government are to help men and women who are forced to marry against their will. The Home Office and the Foreign Office have agreed on a joint action plan to work closely with other Government departments, voluntary organisations and the police, to support people at risk of being forced to marry against their will.

A £350,000 project has been set up to to develop links between UK police forces and key overseas forces. Also a dedicated team is in place at the Foreign Office known as the ‘Community Liason Unit ‘ to work on behalf of victims, and

potential victims of forced marriages. An action plan for support and assisting the victims of forced marriage have been developed by overseas posts. Progress on thier implementation is monitored in London by the Comminty liason Unit.

Home Office Minister Angela Eagle said: “The 200 victims and potential victims of forced marriages we have helped in the last year alone are proof of just hoew serious this issue is. Forcing a young person to marry against thier will is a breach of their fundamental human rights, and we are determined to put an end to this terrible practice. Through the continued development of the proposals of the Action Plan we will ensure that victims of forced marriages have all the advice and support they need, both here and overseas.”

The issue of forced marriges was highlighted by a BBC2 documentary “Flight To Freedom” in which the plight of three sisters who had escaped a forced marriage was shown. The girls - Narina, 22, Samina, 20, and a 15 year old younger sister (who cannot be named for legal reasons) - were held as virtual prisoners at their uncle’s home and watched day and night for five months. The girls managed to make their escape disguised as three old women. They managed to get to Lahore, from where they contacted the British High Commission in Islamabad.

Narina now works for the foreign Office helping other Asians who find themswelves in similar situations. Narina said: "People were saying to us that it was in our religion to go into these marriages, but it is against any religions' human rights. Arranged marriages are completely different from forced marriages. I am in favour of arranged marriages whiich is consent from both spouses. Not everybody forces their children into marriage it is only a minority in the Asian community that do that."

Foreign Office Minister Baroness Amos said: "Only through building a network of partners, focussed on the needs of the victims, could we offer them a service of real value. We have spent a lot of time, energy and money in a range of initiatives and I hope that the coming year can be productive as the last."

Narina and her sisters live in London, while their parents who have come to terms with the arrangement live up North: "Parents don't listen to what their children want, and think they are acting in their best interests. As a community we tend to get defensive of the issue, but we have to acknowledge that there is a problem which needs to be addressed."