Forced Marriage

Forced marriage is when you are made to marry someone against your will and there is no choice for those involved.

A forced marriage is not the same as an arranged marriage which is when two families come together and they discuss the marriage with the two people involved. The parents then give them the choice on whether they want to get married or not.

In a forced marriage that choice is not there. The people getting married do not have any choice - either the bride or the groom are being forced into it.

The force doesn’t have to be physical - it can be verbal or even emotional. Often the person is made to feel very guilty about not wanting take part in the wedding.

For help and advice about forced marriage you can contact the Forced Marriage Unit at the Foreign Office on 020 7008 0135 or 020 7008 0230 Mon-Fri 9am-5pm or 020 7008 1500 (at all other times).