Staff Reports
A Freedom of Information disclosure to the Press Association has lifted the lid on a chilling problem: at least 100 children aged 12 or younger were referred to the UK Government’s Forced Marriage Unit between 2021 and 2025 as potential victims of forced marriage. That shocking figure includes 27 children aged five or under. This is not a statistic to be shrugged off while ministers dodge responsibility with platitudes.
The FOI numbers: what the Forced Marriage Unit referrals tell us
The FOI shows at least 100 referrals to the Forced Marriage Unit for suspected child forced marriages across five years. Of those, 62 were aged ten or under, and 27 were five or younger. Remember: a referral means someone told authorities there was a real or suspected case. It does not, on its own, prove a marriage happened. The Home Office even redacted some yearly details where counts were tiny to avoid identifying victims. Still, these referrals are a clear cry for help and a sign the problem may be much bigger than official totals suggest.
Schools and safeguarding: where the alarm bells are ringing
Campaigners warn that schools will be on the frontline of this crisis. Dame Jasvinder Sanghera of Karma Nirvana says workers should expect missing children when the school year starts and urged staff to report concerns. The Forced Marriage Unit’s own 2025 statistics show a worrying rise in cases with no overseas element, meaning forced marriages are happening inside Britain too. If teachers, social workers, and police fail to act quickly, children could be taken out of sight and protection will fail.
Why the government’s “one-size-fits-all” response won’t cut it
The Home Office keeps saying forced marriage is not limited to any one country, religion, or culture. Technically true, but it’s not a get-out-of-accountability card. If certain communities or migration patterns bring new risks, ministers must be honest and act. Reform UK’s Shadow Home Secretary Zia Yusuf blamed recent migration waves for a rise in forced matches. Whether or not that claim nails the cause, the tougher question is simple: why aren’t we treating the safety of children as a border and law-and-order priority?
Action, not platitudes: what needs to happen next
First, the government should publish the FOI details it can safely share and let independent agencies analyse trends. Second, schools must be funded and empowered to report and protect — not punished for doing the right thing. Third, the Forced Marriage Unit needs resources to follow up every referral and to work with police to prosecute perpetrators. Finally, politicians should stop playing spin games and answer plainly whether migration policy and enforcement are fit to protect vulnerable children. If Britain claims to value childhood, it must prove it with real action, not bland words.
