Police are launching the first-ever national crackdown on forced
marriage at a number of airports as the school holidays get
underway.
Officers from across England and Wales and the Border Force will
join together in a national week of intensification (15 – 19
July) dubbed Operation Limelight. Partners like social services,
the health service and charities are also involved and will be
assisting police.
Limelight will focus on flights connecting the UK to destinations
where there is a high prevalence of forced marriage. Tactics will
include educating airport and airline staff to spot the signs and
increase their confidence in reporting suspicious activity to
police. Intelligence will be used to identify and seek victims
who are about to leave or have just arrived back in the UK.
National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for forced marriage,
Commander Ivan Balhatchet, said:
“Forced marriage is a violation of human rights. This week
officers will be at airports using intelligence to intervene to
prevent victims being taken abroad for a forced marriage. We’ll
also be equipping airport staff to spot signs and encouraging
them to report suspicions to us.
“The isolation, threats and violence that victims experience
means that this is not something that can be tackled by police
alone. That’s why our close partnership with public and third
sector organisations during this operation will be key.”
In May 2019 the Home Office’s Forced
Marriage Unit reported that it had provided support for
1,764 cases of suspected forced marriage in 2018. A third of
cases, 574, involved children under the age of 18. Cases dealt
with came from 74 different countries. The top three highest
rates involved travel to Pakistan with 769 cases, Bangladesh with
157 cases and India with 110 cases. Forced marriage is a hidden
crime, so the numbers are likely to be higher.
A forced marriage is one which one or both spouses do not, or
cannot, agree to. Violence, threats and coercion are often
involved. It is different from an arranged marriage where both
parties can refuse to marry if they choose to.
Forced marriage was made a specific criminal offence in the
Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, however other
offences may also apply, like violence and coercive control.
Commander Ivan Balhatchet added:
“Police will investigate every case fully and take all available
steps to detect and prosecute those involved in this heinous
crime. Forcing someone to marry is punishable by up to seven
years in prison.
“I urge anyone with concerns around forced marriage, or any other
harmful practices affecting our children or vulnerable adults to
come forward and tell police. We will treat each individual case
sensitively and confidentially.”
Common warning signs of a forced marriage include a young or
vulnerable person becoming suddenly more withdrawn and spending
less time with friends, hidden bruising and a suddenly planned
last minute holiday that the person is not happy about.
Founder of the Freedom Charity, which works to eliminate forced
marriage, Aneeta Prem, said:
“Freedom worked tirelessly to make forced marriage a criminal
offence and targeting airports as the summer holidays get
underway is key. We know it’s when potential victims are more
likely to be taken abroad by their families to attend a
wedding, not knowing that it is their own.
“Once someone is abroad it can take a great deal of effort to get
them back to the UK safely and so this operation at airports is
vital as it’s the last chance to save someone from a forced
marriage.
“We know that forced marriage can lead to domestic abuse, rape,
slavery and even murder.”
