Civil Service in the news
To have and to hold
29/10/2007 - Foreign and Commonwealth Office [External website] 
Rescuing British nationals who have been forced into marriage abroad can be a dangerous and traumatic experience for all involved. The FCO's Forced Marriage Unit is working hard to raise awareness of the issue, prevent cases before they happen, and support those brought home
You're a teenager. You've been kidnapped and taken overseas, where you're being held against your will and forced to marry someone you've never met. You might have been beaten or raped - and your family won't be searching for you or calling the police because they're the ones doing it to you.
Such disturbing stories are a daily reality for the FCO's Forced Marriage Unit (FMU). Operated jointly with the Home Office, it's the only government unit in the world dedicated to investigating and helping people escape forced marriages.
Forced marriages happen all over the world - the unit has dealt with cases in unexpected locations, like Ireland and Norway. Most of their work, however, involves Pakistan and Bangladesh, partly due to the UK's historical connection with that region.
The FMU's involvement can begin at any stage - in the UK or overseas, before or after the marriage has taken place. “It could be social services or the police who alert us,” says FMU officer Shailin Shah, “or a worried friend, boyfriend or girlfriend. It's hardly ever a family member. If it's someone calling who's concerned for themselves, prior to going overseas, we'll give them all the information they need on their rights and options to try and stop it becoming a case. If it's a minor at risk, we'll alert the relevant agencies.”
Once someone is taken overseas, it becomes much harder for the FMU or police to help. If the team knows the address where someone is being held, they have teams in Pakistan, India and Bangladesh who can carry out a welfare check or a rescue.
“The team in Islamabad do around 20 rescues a year,” says FMU head Peter Abbott.
“They're very experienced and have it down to a fine art. Some of these operations take place in violent, lawless areas and they can be dangerous. Police protection is vital and, though it's taken us a while to develop trust with the local authorities, the High Commission in Islamabad has built up solid relationships with local police, bar associations, community leaders and non-governmental organisations. We need help at every turn, whether it's social services in the UK or the police in Pakistan.”
Once the victim is returned to the UK, the FMU will help them rebuild their lives - if they are a minor, the case will be turned over to the relevant agencies, while adults will be given information on shelter, benefits and how to find work.
Speaking out
Another important role for the FMU is raising awareness of these issues among ethnic minority and hard-to-reach communities.
The unit also produces guidelines for statutory agencies, such as the police, registrars and social services, to help them spot the signs of forced marriage cases and establish standard nationwide practices for dealing with them.
Sharing best practice internationally is another crucial task, for example at a recent FCO forced marriage and child abduction conference in Dubai. The UK will also host an EU conference on the issue in September.
“The beauty of this job is that no matter if we're just giving out information or being party to a repatriation or rescue, we're making a difference to someone's life,” says Shailin. “These cases can be very distressing, but there are enough success stories that we come back to work the next day!”
Forced marriage in numbers:
- Forced Marriage Unit set up in 2005
- Six members
- Deals with around 300 cases a year, but receives 5,000 enquiries
- A third of victims are minors
- 15% of victims are men
- 65% of cases involve Pakistan, 25% involve Bangladesh and a small percentage involve India.
Saira's story:
- 14 August - Saira, 18, travels to Pakistan on holiday with her parents.
- 17 August - Saira's passport and phone are taken from her. She's under intense emotional pressure to marry and is beaten. Using a cousin's phone, Saira calls a friend in the UK. The friend contacts the Forced Marriage Unit, who alert post and start making enquiries.
- 21 August - Saira manages to send a text message to her friend asking for help. The wedding is in two weeks' time. Following enquiries, post confirms Saira's address. With the risk of further abuse and the proximity of the wedding, a rescue is the only option. Post make necessary preparations.
- 1 September - High Commission staff arrive with a police escort. They speak to Saira alone to determine her wishes. She wants to leave, and is driven back to Islamabad where she enters a refuge for counselling, medical attention and shelter. Her friend transfers money to the FCO for her repatriation.
- 2 September - post issue Saira's emergency passport and arrange her flight. FMU arrange for Saira to be met by social workers at Heathrow.
- 5 September - Saira is seen off by post at the airport and looked after by cabin crew. Upon landing, Saira is met by Heathrow Travelcare and transferred to a safe refuge. With help from the refuge, Saira is now coming to terms with her ordeal and making plans for the future.