The ‘focus country’ is the country to which the forced marriage risk relates. In 2021, the FMU handled cases relating to 32 ‘focus countries’, excluding the UK. In recent years, the FMU has handled cases relating to countries across six continents. In 2021, 9,964 people from a wide range of professions took the FMU’s “Awareness of Forced Marriage” free online course.įorced marriage is not a problem specific to one country, religion or culture. Social services, health professionals, local authorities, Border Force staff and community groups. We also delivered ad hoc training on request to groups including: police officers, Our outreach included the continuation of bespoke, half-day training workshops for social care staff and police officers. This was more than double the number of professionals who attended our training in 2020. In 2021, the FMU further increased its outreach activities and delivered training to over 1,000 UK professionals in how to support victims of forced marriage. FMU caseworkers have been more regularly invited to attend multi-agency strategy meetings following the widespread move to virtual working in several professional sectors. The FMU remained fully operational throughout the restrictions of the coronavirus pandemic and took steps to ensure that this was publicised extensively. 251 cases (74%) involved female victims, and 86 cases (26%) involved male victims.53 cases (16%) involved victims with mental capacity concerns.120 cases (36%) involved victims aged 18-25.118 cases (35%) involved victims below 18 years of age.Of the cases that the FMU provided advice or support to in 2021: The figures in the rest of this document refer to the 337 cases. This figure includes contact that was made to the FMU through the public helpline or by email in relation to a new case. The 337 advice and support cases comprised 316 cases solely related to forced marriage, three cases related to both forced marriage and FGM, and 18 cases solely related to FGM. As shown above, the total number of cases (advice and support cases, and general enquiries) in 2021 was similar to that in 2020. The effects of the pandemic also persisted during 2021 (for example, restrictions on weddings and overseas travel). General enquiries received from around 400 in 2020 to 868 in 2021. This is likely to be the principal factor in the fall in the number of advice and support cases from 759 in 2020 to 337 in 2021, and the increase in the number of As such, some of the cases which would previously have been recorded as advice and support cases have now been recorded as general enquiries (and therefore feature in the figure of 868 rather than 337). The change in recording practices was in place throughout 2021. The pandemic likely constituted the main factor. As set out in the 2020 statistics, this had some impact on the reduction in the number of advice and support cases compared with the previous year, although FMU’s assessment is that the effects of In doing so, some contacts that might previously have been included as a case of ‘potential or actual forced marriage’ but which did not relate to a specific individual where advice and support was requested of the FMU, were more appropriately categorised as a ‘general enquiry’. In preparing the 2020 statistics, FMU made some changes to recording practices. FMU began to record these in 2018, separate to the advice and support cases which comprised the annual published statistics. It also responded to 868 general enquiries.Ī case in which advice and support is given (‘advice and support cases’) is one where the FMU is provided with details of a specific individual at risk of, or affected by, forced marriage (or FGM), and actively provides advice and support for as long as required.Ī general enquiry is one where the FMU may be asked to provide general advice and/or signposting to other sources of guidance or information. Possible female genital mutilation ( FGM). In 2021, the Forced Marriage Unit ( FMU) gave advice and support in 337 cases related to a possible forced marriage and/or
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