Forced to marry
A Forced marriage is often the setting for honour based violence.
A large number of women and some men are forced into marriage every year.
Most victims are taken abroad, many to India and Pakistan to be married, often to older relatives. Some will be kept overseas and others are brought back to Britain, sometimes in order to help their new husband or wife get residence.
The summer is a particularly busy time for charities like Karma Nirvana, who run a national helpline for victims of forced marriage, and the Government’s Forced Marriage Unit (FMU). Victims are often taken away during this period, ostensibly on family holidays. The Karma Nirvana helpline receives three times its usual call volume in the run up to the school holidays.
Forced Marriage Unit
The Government set up the FMU as a cross-agency directive between the Home Office and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
The unit deals with victims who are at risk from various aspects of forced marriage, some are in fear of being taken abroad to be married, some will be about to be married in this country and others may already have been subject to a forced marriage and might be forced to sponsor a visa for their spouse. Much of the work the unit does involves liaising with staff in embassies across the world to reach victims who have been taken abroad.
Listen to the audio interview with Joint Head of the FMU, Olaf Henricson-Bell to find out more.