Britain should reject accusations of racism and take the fight to forced marriage
Rakib Ehsan reacts to reports that at least 100 children under 12 were forced into marriage
TL;DR
- At least 100 children under 12 years old have been referred to the UK's Forced Marriage Unit (FMU) in the last five years.
- Within this group, 27 children were as young as five.
- Forced marriage is a criminal offense in England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, with the minimum age of marriage being 18.
- While a global issue, forced marriage disproportionately affects South Asian communities and Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller communities in the UK.
- There has been a rise in forced marriage cases with no overseas element, indicating an increasing 'internal' problem within the UK.
- Dame Jasvinder Sanghera, an activist against forced marriage, emphasizes that it is a safeguarding matter and not an acceptable cultural practice.