’If forced marriage is thought about at all it is often conflated with arranged marriage and particular cultures,’ says Ben Ryan of Medaille Trust. There are an estimated 22 million people worldwide in forced marriages, here Ben gives shows how to know the signs.
Part and parcel of working for a charity that supports survivors of trafficking and modern slavery is that you regularly encounter heartbreaking stories. At Medaille Trust we have a safe house for survivors, and staff have recently been supporting a young woman called Emina (not her real name).
Emina was twenty years old on her wedding day. It was not a joyous occasion. She knew little about her new husband, and her objections to the marriage had been met with physical violence and emotional abuse from her family. Nor was it destined to be a happy marriage. In her home country Emina had hoped to go to university, but her husband instead brought her to the UK and forced her into unpaid labour with his relatives. She was told that she needed to work to repay the cost of bringing her to the UK.
Emina arrived in the UK on a spousal visa. A condition placed on spousal visas is that migrants have what is called a No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) condition.
Nor could she easily leave her husband. Emina arrived in the UK on a spousal visa. A condition placed on spousal visas is that migrants have what is called a No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) condition. What this means is that they cannot receive state money to support themselves. If they run away there is no way they can receive money or housing to support themselves from the government, leaving them at serious risk of homelessness and destitution. This is all the more true for those who have been kept isolated and away from other support networks by their abusers.
Sadly, this was Emina’s story. After two years of abuse her husband abandoned her. Homeless, and unable to find work or go back to her own family, Emina was in a desperate situation. Emina is one of the estimated 22 million people worldwide who are victims of forced marriage. Forced marriage is a form of modern slavery which is very difficult to escape. Emina did not feel she could tell her family the reality of her situation without bringing shame and conflict between the families. She did not feel she could go home for the same reason; with no family prepared to welcome her back she felt out of options.
Emina had been in the UK for over two years and had encountered police, Home Office officials, healthcare professionals and various people from her Local Authority. None of them identified her as a victim.
Fortunately for Emina, she met one of our support workers from the Medaille Trust, a modern slavery charity, who was able to identify her as what she was; a victim of slavery. The support worker helped her to get the support she needed. She is now being supported in a safehouse. By that point Emina had been in the UK for over two years and had encountered police, Home Office officials, healthcare professionals and various people from her Local Authority. None of them identified her as a victim.
This is all too common, but it also reflects a deeper societal issue, and one which Christians are often guilty of perpetrating. The signs go unrecognised. If forced marriage is thought about at all it is often conflated with arranged marriage and particular cultures. This is a mistake. Forced marriage, unlike an arranged marriage, involves coercion and pressure being placed on one or more parties in the marriage. Research from BAWSO has found that no religion or culture teaches forced marriage, but religious and cultural factors certainly are used as ways to bring pressure and coercion on a victim.
Read more on human trafficking
Modern day slavery: Human trafficking
This is as true in churches as anywhere else. Marriage is a gift from God and one of the key sacraments of the Christian Church, but that should not blind us to the fact that for a great many victims, including many in our own communities and churches, marriage is not a gift but something forced upon unwilling victims. It takes vigilance and effort on the part of everyone to prevent cases like Emina’s.
The Metropolitan Police signs to watch out for:
Running away from home
Self-harming or attempted suicide
Depression, or becoming worried or withdrawn
Poor performance at work, school or college or unexplained absence
A surprise engagement to a stranger you’ve not heard of before
A sudden holiday (some people are tricked into going abroad for a holiday or to see relatives)
No control over their own money
Not returning from a visit to another country
If you are worried about someone you know and suspect they may be at immediate risk please contact the police or the Forced Marriage Unit - https://www.gov.uk/guidance/forced-marriage
For advice on anyone you worry may be at risk of slavery please call the Modern Slavery helpline https://www.modernslaveryhelpline.org/
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