Forced marriage

Using these pages safely

Marriage shall be entered in to only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses
Declaration of Human Rights
Article 16 (21)

A Forced Marriage is one in which one or more of the parties is married without  his or her consent or against his or her will.

A forced marriage differs from an arranged marriage in which both parties consent to the assistance of their parents or a third party (such as a matchmaker) in identifying a spouse. The practice of forced marriage was very common amongst the upper classes in Europe until the 1900s, and is still practiced in South Asia, the Middle East and Africa.

Most of the involuntary spouses are women, although men may be forced into such marriages as well.

Forced marriages are generally made because of family Honour,  (‘Izat’) or the wishes of the parents and social obligation. Many forced marriages in Britain are aimed at providing British citizenship to a member of the family living outside of the UK.

Western society and the United Nations view forced marriage as a form of human rights abuse since it violates the principle of the freedom  and autonomy of individuals. The Roman Catholic Church deems forced marriage grounds for granting an annulment— for a marriage to be valid both parties must give their consent freely. Many Christian denominations consider forcing a person to marry someone a sin.

However, other cultures may view arranged marriage as the only valid form of commitment as they may not recognize Western notions of love and romance.

In response to the problem of forced marriages in the UK, the Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act 2007 was passed, which enables the victims of forced marriage to apply for court orders for their protection.

If you are concerned that a forced marriage is happening in the Darlington area, you can contact Darlington Register Office

You can also contact

  • The Forced Marriage Unit on 020 7008 0151 between 9:00am and 5.00pm Monday to Friday or email fmu@fco.gov.uk
  • The Choice helpline - 0800 5 999 365 - will be operated 24 hours a day by volunteers from Cleveland Police.
  • Police Specialist Domestic Abuse Unit 0845 60 60 365
  • Darlington Domestic Abuse Service 01325 283226