The age at which someone can apply for a marriage visa will increase from 18 to 21 as part of a crackdown on forced marriage, the Home Office announced on Wednesday. In 2007 the Forced Marriage Unit dealt with 215 cases of overseas forced marriage where the age of the victim was known, 69 of which involved people aged between 18 and 20. The proposals were set out in “Marriage Visas: The Way Forward”. The five key proposals announced were to raise the age of sponsorship for a marriage visa from 18 to 21; ask foreign spouses to enter into an agreement to learn English before they come to the UK; introduce a power to revoke leave to remain where there is evidence that the marriage route has been abused; require all sponsors to register their intention to marry overseas before they leave the UK; and ensure through a code of practice that specialist teams can identify vulnerable people at risk of forced marriage. Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said: “Forced marriage leads to victims suffering years of physical and mental abuse and – in extreme cases – unlawful imprisonment and rape. It has no place in our society. That is why the Government is determined to do everything it can to stamp it out and to ensure that victims receive the help and support they need.http://themuslimweekly.com/newsdetails/fullstoryview.aspx?NewsID=074A975CD94B6A1B390A0B0F&MENUID=HOMENEWS&DESCRIPTION=UK%20News
