UK Child Marriage Fears Grow as Charity Founder Warns Some Girls Are Promised to Men From Birth

Fears over child marriage in the UK have intensified after Home Office figures showed at least 100 children aged 12 or younger were referred to the government's Forced Marriage Unit (FMU) between 2021 and 2025.

Dame Jasvinder Sanghera, founder of Karma Nirvana, described the figures as 'deeply disturbing' and warned that some girls can be 'promised to somebody from birth,' raising fresh safeguarding concerns as schools return after the summer holidays.

Data Reveals Young Children at Risk of Forced Marriage

The figures, obtained through a Freedom of Information request, show that 62 of the children referred to the FMU were aged 10 or younger, while 27 were aged five or younger.

The Home Office has not disclosed the age of the youngest child, saying doing so could risk identification and discourage future reports.

A referral does not mean a marriage took place. It indicates that information was provided about an actual, potential or suspected forced marriage.

Separate FMU figures for 2025 recorded 406 cases involving possible forced marriage or female genital mutilation, including 163 cases involving victims aged 17 or younger.

Jasvinder Sanghera Warns About Hidden Child Marriage

Sanghera, who left home aged 14 to escape a forced marriage, said the latest figures highlighted how early coercion can begin.

She warned that some children may be promised to future husbands long before an actual marriage takes place, making schools an important point of intervention.

With pupils returning in September, Sanghera questioned whether unexplained absences would trigger safeguarding checks or whether vulnerable children could simply disappear from school records before returning engaged or married.

She also warned that official figures may represent only part of the problem because many cases never reach statutory services.

'Cultural acceptance does not mean accepting the unacceptable. This is abuse,' she said.

UK Child Marriage Laws and the Safeguarding Gap

Forcing someone into marriage is a criminal offence across the UK. In England and Wales, the legal minimum age for marriage was raised to 18 in February 2023, removing the previous option for 16- and 17-year-olds to marry with parental consent.

However, campaigners continue to raise concerns about informal religious or customary ceremonies, overseas marriages and cases involving coercion that never reach authorities.

More than 20 organisations have previously called for stronger protections for under-18s, arguing that existing forced marriage legislation does not automatically prevent child marriage based solely on age.

In Scotland, the legal marriage age remains 16, without a requirement for parental consent.

Campaigners Say Girls Face Long-Term Harm

Campaigners have warned that child marriage can affect education, employment and physical and mental wellbeing, while increasing vulnerability to domestic and sexual abuse.

Payzee Mahmod, who was married as a teenager to a man nearly twice her age, has campaigned for a complete ban on child marriage in the UK. Her sister Banaz was murdered in an honour-based killing after leaving a husband chosen by her family.

Children's charities, including Barnardo's, and organisations such as Karma Nirvana have backed calls for stronger safeguards.

Why Schools Are Being Urged To Act

Campaigners say teachers and safeguarding professionals are often among the first people able to notice unexplained absences, sudden changes in behaviour or children returning from holidays with major changes to their circumstances.

The latest Home Office figures have therefore renewed calls for schools and agencies to treat warning signs seriously and ensure vulnerable children are not allowed to disappear from view.

Authorities stress that forced marriage can affect people from any background and urge anyone concerned about a child to report their concerns to safeguarding services or the Forced Marriage Unit.