UK Unit Receives 100 Forced Marriage Cases for Kids 12 and Under
More than 100 British children aged 12 or under were reported to the Forced Marriage Unit between 2021 and 2025, including 27 victims aged five or younger, according to Home Office data.
The education ministry of the German State of Baden-Württemberg has issued an emergency form to schools to help staff respond to possible cases of forced marriage or girls being held abroad against their will after the summer holidays. https://t.co/yMNWrAgSrl
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Home Office data obtained through a freedom of information request by the Press Association and reported by Brussels Signal reveals that between 2021 and 2025, at least 100 children in this age bracket were referred to the Forced Marriage Unit, including 62 children aged 10 or under.
Authorities refused to disclose the age of the youngest child on record, claiming that releasing such information could discourage other victims from seeking help.
Betrothal and Female Genital Mutilation Linked to Cases
While a referral does not confirm that a marriage has occurred or will occur, it indicates that information has been provided regarding an actual, potential, or suspected forced marriage situation. The Home Office clarified that the data represents only reported concerns rather than verified incidents.
According to separate statistics published by the Forced Marriage Unit, cases involving very young children frequently relate to betrothal—a promise of future marriage—or concern younger siblings of individuals already identified as at risk. Some cases are also connected to female genital mutilation rather than imminent wedding ceremonies.
Child protection advocates have issued warnings that some students may not return to school when the new term begins in September, having been taken abroad or subjected to forced marriage arrangements during the summer break.
Sharp Rise in Reported Cases
The joint Home Office and Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office unit provided tailored assistance in 406 cases during 2025. Of these, 163 cases—representing 40 percent of the total—involved individuals aged 17 or younger, with 87 of those aged 15 or under.
Social services accounted for 112 referrals involving minors, while police contributed 52 and education professionals made 25 referrals. The unit received 1,295 total contacts that year related to possible forced marriage or female genital mutilation.
This figure represents a 69 percent increase compared to the 240 cases recorded in 2024, though officials noted the years cannot be directly compared due to changes in recording methodology.
Authorities acknowledge that forced marriage remains largely concealed, and recorded cases do not reflect the full extent of the problem affecting communities across Britain.
Domestic Cases on the Rise
Not all cases involve international travel. In 2022, nine referrals concerned children aged 12 or under where no overseas element was present, meaning any potential or actual marriage would have taken place entirely within the United Kingdom.
Data for other years in this age category was withheld because numbers fell between zero and five in each classification—small enough that publication could have identified the children involved.
Across all age groups, cases with no overseas component have climbed significantly. Official statistics recorded 10 such cases in 2023, representing 4 percent of the total, rising to 15 in 2024 at 6 percent, and jumping to 58 in 2025 at 14 percent of all cases.
The Home Office stated that this increase demonstrates that forced marriages occur within Britain’s borders and are not exclusively linked to overseas travel.
Pakistan Most Frequently Cited Foreign Country
In 2025, Pakistan was the most frequently cited focus country outside Britain, accounting for 165 cases, followed by Bangladesh with 36 and Afghanistan with 28. The unit handled cases relating to 34 different focus countries in total.
British nationals, including dual citizens, represented 64 percent of individuals in tailored-assistance cases. Non-British nationals, including European Union citizens, made up a further 25 percent. Three-quarters of all cases involved female victims.
Legal Framework and Maximum Penalties
Forcing someone into marriage is a criminal offence throughout the United Kingdom. In England and Wales, the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Minimum Age) Act 2022, which took effect on February 27, 2023, raised the legal marriage and civil partnership age from 16 to 18.
The legislation also criminalized any action intended to cause a child to marry before their 18th birthday, regardless of whether coercion is involved or whether the ceremony carries legal validity. The maximum sentence is seven years’ imprisonment.
Victims and those at risk can apply for a Forced Marriage Protection Order through the family courts. The Home Office has emphasized that forced marriage is not specific to any single country, religion, or culture, and that there is no typical victim or perpetrator profile.
Survivor Warns of Promises Made From Birth
Jasvinder Sanghera, founder of the charity Karma Nirvana and herself a survivor who fled home at 14 to escape a forced marriage, described the ages revealed in the freedom of information data as deeply disturbing.
She explained that children can be promised to someone from birth, with the actual marriage taking place years later. Sanghera issued a warning ahead of the September school term, expressing concern that some children will not return to their classrooms.
With information from Brussels Signal
