Official Statistics

Forced Marriage Unit statistics 2020

Published 1 July 2021

1. Key Points

In 2020, the Forced Marriage Unit (FMU) gave advice or support in 759 cases related to a possible forced marriage and/or possible female genital mutilation (FGM). This comprised 750 cases solely related to forced marriage, 3 cases related to both forced marriage and FGM, and 6 cases solely related to FGM. This figure includes contact that was made to the FMU through the public helpline or by email in relation to a new case. This does not include over 400 general enquires the unit received which did not relate to a specific case.

The 759 cases in 2020 represents a 44% decrease on the average number of cases (1,359) received annually between 2011 and 2019. This is thought to be largely attributable to reasons derived from the coronavirus pandemic, such as restrictions on weddings and overseas travel, which have been in place to varying degrees from March 2020. Following the introduction of the first lockdown in the UK, referrals to the FMU decreased from an average of 82 per month (January-March 2020) to 44 per month (April-June 2020). A procedural change regarding whether to log a new case as a referral or a general enquiry is also likely to have had a minor impact on the overall number of cases compared with previous years.

The FMU remained fully operational throughout the restrictions of the coronavirus pandemic and took steps to ensure that this was publicised extensively. FMU caseworkers have been more regularly invited to attend multi-agency strategy meetings following the switch to virtual working.

In 2020, the FMU increased its outreach activities and delivered training to over 450 professionals in how to support victims of forced marriage. This included the introduction of bespoke training workshops for social workers alongside the existing programme of workshops for police officers. This also included presentations to police officers, social services, health professionals, Border Force staff and community groups. In 2020, 12,162 people from a wide range of professions took the FMU’s Awareness of Forced Marriage free online course.

Of the cases that the FMU provided advice or support to in 2020:

• 199 cases (26%) involved victims below 18 years of age
• 278 cases (37%) involved victims aged 18-25
• 66 cases (9%) involved victims with mental capacity concerns
• 603 cases (79%) involved female victims, and 156 cases (21%) involved male victims

These proportions are broadly in line with case numbers from recent years.

Forced marriage is not a problem specific to one country, religion or culture. Since 2011, the FMU has handled cases relating to countries across six continents.

In 2020, the FMU handled cases relating to 54 ‘focus countries’, excluding the UK. The ‘focus country’ is the country to which the forced marriage 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. The five ‘focus countries’ (other than the UK) with the highest number of cases in 2020 were:

Country	Cases
Pakistan	286 cases (38%)
Bangladesh	69 cases (9%)
India	44 cases (6%)
Afghanistan	30 cases (4%)
Somalia[footnote 1]	15 cases (2%)

The majority (80%) of victims were in the UK at the time the case was referred to us. This is in line with the equivalent figures from the last five years.

In 2020, 53 cases (7%) had no overseas element, with the potential or actual forced marriage taking place entirely within the UK. This is in line with the proportion of cases linked to the UK in recent years (5% in 2019, 7% in 2018) and continues to highlight that forced marriages can and do take place in the UK.

This document is accompanied by a data sheet which contains the figures quoted in this report.

These statistics represent only the cases that have been reported to the FMU and where the FMU has actively given advice or support. Forced marriage is a hidden crime, and these figures will not reflect the full scale of the abuse^{[footnote 2]}.

2. Overview

A forced marriage is one in which one or both spouses do not (or, in the case of minors or some adults who lack the relevant mental capacity, cannot) consent to the marriage, and violence, threats, or any other form of coercion is involved. Coercion may include emotional pressure, physical force or the threat of it, and financial pressure. In an arranged marriage, by contrast, both parties have consented to the union but can still refuse to marry if they choose to. It is a criminal offence to force someone into a marriage in the UK or to take them overseas for this purpose^{[footnote 3]}.

The FMU is a joint Home Office and Foreign, Commonwealth & 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 operates both inside the UK, where support is provided to any individual, and overseas, where consular assistance is provided to British nationals, including dual nationals.

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 Embassy, High Commission or Consulate, or by calling 020 7008 5000 in the UK. The FMU typically receives information about a forced marriage from either the person at risk, from a friend or a relative, or from professionals within agencies charged with responsibility for safeguarding children and vulnerable adults.

This publication provides information on the number of cases reported to the FMU via its public helpline and email inbox from 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2020. 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 and or source of information
• focus country
• UK region where the victim or 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 (if volunteered)

The FMU does not record data on religion; no major faith in the UK advocates forced marriage. Freely given consent is a prerequisite of Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim and Sikh marriages.

In 2020, the FMU recorded the nationality of victims for the first time. Advice and support are provided to anyone in the UK, regardless of nationality, but consular assistance overseas can only be provided to British nationals (including dual nationals) and in some circumstances, Commonwealth citizens.

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

Further information about forced marriage and the work of the FMU is available at Forced marriage guidance, by emailing fmu@fcdo.gov.uk or by writing to:

Forced Marriage Unit
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
Consular Directorate
King Charles Street
London
SW1A 2AH
+44 (0)20 7008 0151

3. Forced Marriage Unit Statistics

In 2020, the FMU gave advice or support in 759 cases related to a possible forced marriage (or case of FGM overseas). This represents a 44% decrease in cases compared with both the number of cases received in 2019 and the 2011-2019 annual average. This decrease is thought to be largely attributable to reasons derived from the coronavirus pandemic, such as restrictions on weddings and overseas travel, which have been in place to varying degrees from March 2020. A procedural change regarding whether to log a new case as a referral or a general enquiry is also likely to have had a minor impact on the overall number of cases compared with previous years.

Of the cases that the FMU provided advice or support to in 2020:

• 91 cases related to a ‘reluctant sponsor’^{[footnote 4]}
• 659 cases related to forced marriages not involving ‘reluctant sponsors’
• 3 cases related to both forced marriage and FGM
• 6 cases related to FGM

Table 1: Number of cases in which the Forced Marriage Unit gave advice or support, 2011 to 2020

Year	Number
2011	1,468
2012	1,485
2013	1,302
2014	1,267
2015	1,220
2016	1,428
2017	1,196
2018	1,507
2019	1,355
2020	759

Source: Forced Marriage Unit; Home Office and Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

The majority of cases (62%) were reported by professionals such as social services, police, Home Office (generally borders and immigration) staff and non-governmental organisations, and those in the education, legal and health sectors. 21% of cases were reported by victims; a slight increase compared with 18% in 2019. The remaining 17% of cases were referred by friends, partners, family members, colleagues and anonymous callers.

Table 2 and Chart 1 below show the monthly breakdown of cases referred to the FMU. The unit often experiences a spike in referrals around the school holidays, however in 2020 these peaks were more muted. This is thought to be largely attributed to the restrictions on domestic movement and overseas travel as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

Table 2: Number of cases the Forced Marriage Unit gave advice or support to, by month, 2019 and 2020^{[footnote 5]}

Month	Numbers in 2020	Percentages	Numbers in 2019 equivalent month
January	85	11%	135
February	79	10%	103
March	82	11%	120
April	45	6%	102
May	35	5%	102
June	52	7%	96
July	76	10%	168
August	43	6%	113
September	66	9%	90
October	69	9%	121
November	68	9%	111
December	59	8%	94
Total	759		1,355

Chart 1: Number of cases the Forced Marriage gave advice and support to, by month, 2019 and 2020

Source: Forced Marriage Unit; Home Office and Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

The following sections provide further information about the cases that the FMU handled in 2020.

3.1 Gender of victims

In 2020, 603 cases (79%) involved female victims and 156 (21%) involved male victims. This highlights that forced marriage is a crime which disproportionately affects women, but that men can also be victims. Men are particularly represented in cases where the victim is LGBTQ+ (63% male), or where the victim has mental capacity concerns (55% male).

3.2 Age of victims

In 2020, 15% of the cases involved victims who were aged 15 and under, 11% were 16-17 years old and 22% were between the ages of 18 and 21. These are broadly the same proportions as in 2019. Cases concerning young children often involve the ‘promise’ of a future marriage (betrothal), or the younger sibling of someone at a direct risk, rather than an imminent marriage. The case numbers also include FGM, which often involves child victims.

Over a five year period, the FMU has seen an increase in the proportion of cases involving older victims (i.e. aged over 26). Where the age of victims was known, in 2020 29% were over the age of 26 and 17% over the age of 31, compared with 20% and 10%, respectively, in 2015.

Table 3: Number of cases the Forced Marriage Unit gave advice or support to, by age, 2020

Age	Numbers	Percentages
15 and under	113	15%
16-17	86	11%
18-21	167	22%
22-25	111	15%
26-30	84	11%
31-40	80	11%
41+	37	5%
Unknown	81	11%
Total	759

Source: Forced Marriage Unit; Home Office and Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

3.3 Nationality of victims

This is the first time that the FMU has published statistics regarding the nationality of victims who received our advice or support. The FMU offer advice and support to anyone in the UK, regardless of nationality, but consular assistance overseas can only be provided to British nationals (including dual nationals) and in some circumstances, Commonwealth citizens.

In 2020, 56% of victims (423 cases) were British nationals, including dual nationals, and 33% of victims (252 cases) were non-British nationals. The nationality of the individual was unknown in 11% of cases (84 cases).

Table 4: Number of cases the Forced Marriage Unit gave advice or support to, by nationality, 2020

	Numbers	Percentages
British national (including dual national)	423	56%
Non-British national (including EU and Commonwealth citizens)	252	33%
Unknown nationality	84	11%
Total number of cases	759

Source: Forced Marriage Unit; Home Office and Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

3.4 UK regions where victims live

As in recent years, in 2020 the UK regions associated with the greatest number of cases were London, the West Midlands and the North West, together accounting for 48% of referrals. The proportions of referrals from each region remained broadly similar to previous years.

Table 5: Number of cases the Forced Marriage Unit gave advice or support to, by region, 2020

UK Region	Numbers	Percentages
London	180	24%
West Midlands	99	13%
North West	83	11%
South East	67	9%
Yorkshire & The Humber	65	9%
East	56	7%
East Midlands	23	3%
South West	18	2%
Wales	15	2%
North East	12	2%
Scotland	12	2%
Northern Ireland	<5	-
Unknown	127	17%
Total	759

Source: Forced Marriage Unit; Home Office and Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

3.5 Focus country overview

The ‘focus country’ is the country to which the risk of forced marriage relates. This could be the country where the forced marriage is due to take place, the country where it has taken place, and or the country in which the spouse is currently residing.

In 2020, the FMU handled cases relating to the UK and 54 other focus countries. In conflict countries, cases tend to be particularly complex due to the political and security situation in the country. In 2020, coronavirus restrictions also added additional complexity when the FMU were supporting victims to return to the UK from overseas.

Table 6: Number of cases the Forced Marriage Unit gave advice or support to, by focus country, 2020

Focus Country	Numbers	Percentages
Pakistan	286	38%
Bangladesh	69	9%
United Kingdom	53	7%
India	44	6%
Afghanistan	30	4%
Somalia	15	2%
Iraq	7	1%
United Arab Emirates	7	1%
Romania	7	1%
Turkey	6	1%
Italy	5	1%
Other (44 countries)	83	11%
Unknown	147	19%
Total	759

Source: Forced Marriage Unit; Home Office and Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

3.6 Focus countries breakdown^{[footnote 6]}

Pakistan

Pakistan is routinely the focus country with the largest number of forced marriage cases reported to the FMU. Cases related to Pakistan come from a wider age and UK regional range than those from some other focus countries.

There were 286 cases (38%) linked to Pakistan as the focus country in 2020; this is within the range seen over the previous five years (37% to 46%). In 77% of these cases the focus was on preventing the marriage before it was due to take place, or preventing the victim from being forced to sponsor a spousal visa, with the support provided managed entirely from within the UK. In 21% of cases, victims were overseas when the referral was made. This is a small increase compared with 2019 (16%). In such cases, support is usually delivered through a combination of consular staff in-country and FMU staff in the UK.

Of victims whose ages were known, we saw an increase in the proportion of victims under the age of 16, from 12% in 2019 to 18% in 2020. 24% of victims were aged between 18 and 21, more than in any other age group. 80% of victims were female.

As in previous years, the most common UK regions linked to cases involving Pakistan were the West Midlands, London, the North West, Yorkshire and The Humber, and the South East, together accounting for two thirds of these cases.

Bangladesh

Bangladesh was linked to 69 cases (9%) in 2020; this is the same as the average proportion of cases over the previous five years. 81% (56 cases) of the referrals were made when the victims were in the UK.

Victims tended to be younger than those involving most other focus countries. Where the age of victims was known, approximately two thirds were aged under 22, including 37% aged under 18. 81% of victims were female.

London was the region involving the largest number of cases linked to Bangladesh with 23 referrals to the FMU (33%).

UK

In 2020, 53 cases (7%) had no overseas element, with the potential or actual forced marriage taking place entirely within the UK. This is below the average over the previous five years (9%). This continues to highlight that forced marriages do take place in the UK. Victims tended to be older than those where an overseas focal country was involved; where age was known, 10% were aged under 18, just over half of victims were over the age of 25 and almost a quarter were over the age of 40. 81% of victims were female.

55% of victims were British, including dual nationals, and 43% were non-British nationals, including EU and Commonwealth citizens. Victims were predominantly linked to London (25% or 13 cases) or the South East (19% or 10 cases).

India

There were 44 cases (6%) linked to India in 2020; this is the same as the average over the previous five years. 82% of victims were in the UK at the point of referral, a small decrease compared with 2019 (89%).

As seen in previous years, there was a higher proportion of male victims (25%) and older victims than seen in some other focus countries. Where the age of victims was known, 13% of victims were under the age of 18 and 66% were over the age of 21.

Almost half of victims were linked to one of three regions: London (20%), the West Midlands (16%) or the South East (11%).

Afghanistan

There were 30 cases (4%) linked to Afghanistan, the same proportion as in 2019. Where the age of victims was known, 39% were under the age of 18 and 39% were over the age of 21. 80% were female.

63% of the cases were linked to London and 83% of victims were in the UK when the referral was made.

Somalia^{[footnote 7]} (including cases in Somaliland)

There were 15 cases (2%) linked to Somalia, the same proportion as in 2019. As in 2019, the majority of victims were overseas when the referral was made (60%); the largest proportion for all focus countries. Victims were more likely to be younger (73% were under the age of 18) and male (33%) than is seen in cases involving other focus countries. 47% of the cases were linked to the London region.

3.7 Sexual orientation of victims

In 2020, 19 cases (3%), a similar proportion to 2019, involved victims who voluntarily identified themselves as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT+). LGBT+ victims were more likely to be male than female and half (10) of the victims’ cases related to a focus country of Pakistan.

These statistics are based on the information that is volunteered to the unit at first contact; victims are not asked to disclose their sexual orientation.

3.8 Victims with mental capacity concerns^{[footnote 8]}

In 2020, 66 cases (9%) involved victims whose mental capacity to consent to marriage was in doubt, compared with 137 cases (10%) in 2019. The gender and age breakdown of those victims, as well as the focus countries and UK regions, are shown in Table 7.

Victims with mental capacity concerns were more likely to be male (55%) and older (63% of victims of a known age were over the age of 25) than in cases on average.

Table 7: Number of cases involving a victim with mental capacity concerns which the Forced Marriage Unit gave advice or support to, 2020

	Numbers	Percentages
Gender
Male	36	55%
Female	30	45%
Age Range
15 and under	<5	-
16-17	<5	-
18-21	8	2%
22-25	12	18%
26-30	20	30%
31-40	12	18%
41+	8	12%
Unknown	2	3%
Focus Country
Pakistan	27	41%
Bangladesh	11	17%
India	6	9%
United Kingdom	<5	-
Other (6 countries)	7	11%
Unknown	13	20%
UK Region
London	15	23%
North West	14	21%
West Midlands	13	20%
Yorkshire & The Humber	10	15%
Other / unknown	14	21%
Total number of cases involving someone with mental capacity concerns	66

Source: Forced Marriage Unit; Home Office and Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

3.9 Status of the marriage

The status of the marriage is recorded under four 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)^{[footnote 9]}
• 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)

The risks for the victims are different at each point. When a victim is overseas, the need for support is often more urgent because it can mean that the wedding is imminent. The security and legal situation in certain countries or regions within countries also affects the level of consular support which the FMU is able to provide.

Table 8: Proportion of cases by marriage status which the Forced Marriage Unit gave advice or support to, 2011-2020

Marriage Status	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020
UK Pre	42%	37%	42%	46%	46%	45%	49%	60%	56%	51%
UK Post	40%	33%	32%	28%	30%	28%	28%	23%	27%	28%
UK Unknown	0%	1%	1%	1%	1%	4%	2%	1%	2%	1%
Overseas Pre	8%	8%	11%	10%	9%	13%	13%	9%	8%	9%
Overseas Post	2%	3%	5%	6%	3%	3%	3%	3%	4%	6%
Overseas Unknown	4%	3%	3%	3%	5%	5%	3%	2%	3%	3%
Unknown	3%	15%	6%	5%	4%	3%	2%	2%	1%	2%

In general, the earlier the FMU is contacted, the greater the range of options available to help support the victim and mitigate the risk of a forced marriage taking place.

3.10 Repatriations

In 2020, the FMU provided practical help or advice to support the repatriations^{[footnote 10]} of 14 individuals. Repatriation figures are not fully representative of the assistance provided to forced marriage victims overseas.

For example, the figures do not include cases where:

• a Forced Marriage Protection Order^{[footnote 11]} was used to facilitate direct repatriation without significant or practical involvement from the FMU
• victims did not require assistance from the FCDO to return to the UK
• direct contact with the victim resulted in no further assistance being required by the victim
• the victim was not a British national and was thus not eligible for consular assistance (safeguarding advice by the FMU was still provided)

1. Including Somaliland. ↩

2. A study conducted by NatCen in 2009 found that there were between 5,000 and 8,000 reported cases of forced marriage in England (not including ‘hidden’ victims who have not come forward). ↩

3. Forced marriage legislation is devolved; the FMU provides support and advice regardless of where in the UK the victim or 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. ↩

4. Providing assistance when an unwanted spouse is due to move to the UK (‘reluctant sponsor’ cases). ↩

5. Percentages in this and some other tables do not sum to 100, owing to rounding. ↩

6. See the figures and tables spreadsheet for a further data breakdown for each country. ↩

7. The British Embassy in Mogadishu does not provide consular services. Forced marriage victims in Somalia (excluding Somaliland) can contact the British High Commission in Nairobi. Victims in Somaliland should contact the British Embassy in Addis Ababa. ↩

8. Cases involving victims with a suspected or confirmed lack of capacity to consent to marriage under the Mental Capacity Act 2005. ↩

9. These cases often involve reluctant sponsors. ↩

10. To come back to the UK or to their country of ordinary residence. ↩

11. “Forced Marriage Protection Orders: How can they protect me?” HM Courts & Tribunal Service leaflet. ↩