Official Statistics

User guide to: Forced Marriage Unit statistics 2023

Published 9 May 2024

1. Introduction

The ‘Forced Marriage Unit annual statistics 2023’ release details the number and characteristics of cases reported to the Forced Marriage Unit (FMU) via its public helpline and email inbox from 1 January 2023 to 31 December 2023.

The FMU logs all calls and emails received to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the records. The main categories of data that are captured by the FMU case log include (if volunteered, as some callers may wish to remain anonymous):

• details of the caller/source of information
• focus country
• UK region where the victim/potential victim lives
• gender, age, location and nationality of the person at risk
• disability – be it physical, learning or both, and/or any condition that may affect mental capacity
• sexual orientation (only if volunteered)

2. Uses of the statistics

Uses made of the FMU statistics are listed below using the standard categorisation for (as shown in the United Kingdom Statistics Authority (UKSA) monitoring brief 6/2010):

a) Informing the general public’s choices:

• about the state of the economy, society and the environment – figures on forced marriages are used by the media in articles on law and order
• about the performance of government and public bodies – figures on levels and trends in reported cases of forced marriage are requested via parliamentary questions (PQs) and freedom of information (FOI) requests to gauge performance in general or in specific areas

b) Government policy making and monitoring:

FMU statistics are used to inform policy development and operational decisions surrounding forced marriage, as well as to monitor the performance and effectiveness of the FMU and to tailor its prevention and outreach activity.

c) Resource allocation typically by central and local government:

FMU statistics demonstrate the types of referrals being made and their geographical range, which may be considered when allocating certain resources.

d) Supporting third sector activity:

Civil society organisations use FMU statistics to protect the rights and civil liberties of citizens. For example, the statistics were used in campaigning and debates surrounding the passage of the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Minimum Age) Bill.

3. Glossary

Advice and support cases: A case where the FMU is provided with details of a specific individual at risk of, or affected by, forced marriage (or, where there is an overseas angle, FGM), and actively provides advice and support for as long as is required.

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM): The partial or total removal of external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons. Further information is available at: ‘Female genital mutilation’

Focus country: The country to which the forced marriage (or FGM) risk relates. This could be the country where the forced marriage (or FGM) is due to take place, the country where it has taken place, and/or the country that the spouse is currently residing in.

Forced marriage: A forced marriage is one in which one or both spouses do not (or, in the case of adults who lack the relevant mental capacity, cannot) consent to the marriage, and violence, threats, or any other form of coercion is involved (a marriage of a person who lacks the relevant mental capacity is also a forced marriage even if violence, threats or other forms of coercion are not involved). Coercion may include emotional pressure, physical force or the threat of it, and financial pressure. Since 27 February 2023 it has also (in England and Wales) been a forced marriage to do anything intended to cause a child to marry before they turn 18, even if no coercion is involved.

Forced marriage protection order (FMPO): FMPOs can be made by courts to protect a person who has been, or is being, forced into marriage against their will by imposing restrictions against the effecting of marriage. A FMPO is unique to each case and contains legally binding conditions and directions that change the behaviour of a person or persons trying to force someone into marriage. Further information and guidance on how to apply for a FMPO is available at ‘Forced marriage protection orders (FL701)’.

Forced Marriage Unit (FMU): The FMU is a joint Home Office and Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) unit. It was established in 2005 to lead on the Government’s forced marriage policy, outreach and casework. The unit also leads on consular casework relating to FGM victims who are overseas. The unit can assist victims inside the UK, where support is provided to any individual, and those who are overseas, where consular assistance is provided to British nationals, including dual nationals.

Forced marriage enquiry: A forced marriage enquiry is one where the FMU may be asked to provide general advice and/or signposting to other sources of guidance or information without requiring continuous actions or support by the FMU.

Helpline: The FMU operates a helpline from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday (+44 (0) 20 7008 0151). Outside of these hours, consular assistance is available 24/7 by contacting the nearest overseas British Embassy, High Commission or Consulate, or by calling 020 7008 5000 in the UK.

Mental capacity: Under the Mental Capacity Act 2005, a person lacks capacity in relation to a matter if at the material time he/she is unable to make a decision for himself/herself in relation to the matter because of an impairment of, or a disturbance in the functioning of, the mind or brain.

Reluctant sponsor: A person who is sponsoring an unwanted spouse to come to the UK.

Repatriation: To come back to the UK or to their country of ordinary residence.

Status of marriage: The status of the marriage is recorded under 4 categories to enable the FMU’s caseworkers to tailor the approach taken and provide the best support based on the individual circumstances. These categories are:

• ‘UK Pre’ (this means that the victim is in the UK and the marriage is yet to take place; the marriage could be in the UK or overseas)
• ‘UK Post’ (the victim is in the UK and the marriage has taken place)
• ‘Overseas Pre’ (the victim is overseas, and the marriage is yet to take place)
• ‘Overseas Post’ (the victim is overseas, and the marriage has taken place)

4. Legislation and regulations

Forced marriage legislation is devolved (although the FMU provides support and advice regardless of where in the UK the victim/potential victim is based).

The relevant legislation can be found at:

• England and Wales: Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, Section 121
• Scotland: Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, Section 122
• Northern Ireland: Human Trafficking and Exploitation (Criminal Justice and Support for Victims) Act (Northern Ireland) 2015, Part 2

The legislation in all areas of the UK criminalises the following behaviour:

• using violence, threats or another form of coercion to cause somebody to enter into a marriage, if they believe (or ought reasonably to believe) that this would cause them to enter into the marriage without free and full consent
• deceiving someone with the intention of causing them to leave the UK to be forced into marriage
• causing someone who lacks the mental capacity to consent to a marriage to enter into one (whether they are pressured to or not)

The Marriage and Civil Partnership (Minimum Age) Act 2022 received Royal Assent on 28 April 2022 and was implemented on 27 February 2023. As well as raising the minimum age of marriage and civil partnership to 18 in all circumstances in England and Wales, it expanded the ambit of the criminal offence of forced marriage in England and Wales such that it is always illegal to arrange for a person aged 17 and under to marry, even if violence, threats or any other form of coercion are not used.

The government’s multi-agency statutory guidance for dealing with forced marriage, and multi-agency practice guidelines, The government’s multi-agency statutory guidance for dealing with forced marriage, and multi-agency practice guidelines provides detailed guidance about the work of the FMU, and how to protect, advise and support victims of forced marriage, including information and practice guidelines for professionals.

Forced marriage protection orders can be used to help victims at risk of a forced marriage or following a forced marriage. Guidance on how to apply for a forced marriage protection order is available at: ‘Apply for a forced marriage protection order’.

5. Quality and methodology

Data source

The statistical release comprises data held by the FMU from all cases referred to the unit through the public helpline, inbox, or through consular staff overseas. The data is collated, anonymised and published on an annual basis.

The FMU privacy notice is available at: ‘FCDO and Home Office privacy notice: Forced Marriage Unit (FMU)’.

Data coverage

The statistics only reflect cases which have been referred to the FMU and do not reflect the true scale of forced marriage, which is often a hidden crime.

The main statistics collected and published by the FMU include:

• source of information
• enquiry type
• focus country
• UK region where the victim/potential victim lives
• gender
• age
• victim location
• nationality of the person at risk
• disability – be it physical, learning or both, and/or any condition that may affect mental capacity
• sexual orientation (only if volunteered)

Rounding

Data provided is rounded in the data tables and percentages may not sum to 100%. Caution should be exercised when comparing small differences between time periods.

Quality assurance process

The 2 heads of the FMU carried out an initial quality assurance process by checking entries on the database to ensure that all categories and fields were completed correctly, and removing duplicated records and ‘cases’ which should not have been included in the data (such as general enquiries not related to forced marriage). The data was then filtered into the required categories and tables were produced which form the basis of the analysis. The data and the analysis were quality checked by senior members of staff from Home Office and the FCDO. Home Office statisticians carried out the final quality assurance process to ensure that the data was accurate and the commentary was unbiased and appropriately described the trends seen in the data.

6. Additional Information

Further information about forced marriage and the work of the FMU is available at Forced marriage’.

The FMU’s annual statistical releases can be found at: ‘Forced Marriage Unit statistics’.

For media enquiries, please call:

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office +44 (0) 20 7008 3100

The Home Office +44 (0) 300 123 3535

Any other enquiries regarding the work of the FMU or this statistics publication can be made by phone: +44 (0)20 7008 0151, by email: fmu@fcdo.gov.uk or by post to:

Forced Marriage Unit
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
Consular Directorate
King Charles Street
London
SW1A 2AH