Over 100 Girls Under Twelve Flagged as Possible Forced Marriage Cases in UK

Data released under a Freedom of Information request indicates that the Forced Marriage Unit logged tips concerning at least 100 girls aged 11 or younger between 2021 and 2025, suggesting possible forced marriages. Of those, 27 were said to have been arranged before the children reached five years old. Because the Home Office aims to avoid exposing individual victims, it omitted detailed age-group figures for at least one year when entries fell below five.

Reform UK shadow home secretary Zia Yusuf blamed the increase on post-Brexit migration reforms, whereas a Home Office spokesperson emphasized that forced marriage cuts across cultures and religions. UNICEF’s research highlights that South Asia, including India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, accounts for the largest share of child brides worldwide, followed by sub-Saharan Africa. Charity founder Jasvinder Sanghera warned that perpetrators often invoke cultural or religious arguments to deflect scrutiny, stressing that cultural acceptance should not excuse the practice.