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Partnership - Rhondda Cynon Taf, Merthyr Tydfil & Bridgend

Updated guidance on dealing with forced marriage

On 21 March, the UK Government published updated guidance on dealing with forced marriage. A link from UK Government has been provided below:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-right-to-choose-government-guidance-on-forced-marriage 

 The UK Government have outlined the changes as follows: 

  • Previously there were two separate documents: multi-agency statutory guidance for the leaders of organisations with safeguarding responsibilities, and non-statutory multi-agency practice guidelines for front-line professionals. Those have now been brought together in one overarching document. The division between the parts which are statutory and those which are not is unchanged.

  • There are now specific chapters on: the role of registrars; how to support victims who have learning disabilities; and the role of staff at the UK border. The updated guidance also provides additional information on ‘honour’-based abuse more broadly, and on the different groups of people who can be affected by forced marriage, including male and LGBT victims. 

  • The statutory guidance is produced under legislation which extends to both Wales and England, and much of the content of the non-statutory practice guidelines relates to forced marriages which might take place in either country. Some of the chapters in the practice guidelines relate to reserved matters, such as policing and Border Force staff. Others relate to matters which are devolved, and the guidance sets out the English and Welsh positions where those differ. 

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Posted on Tuesday 29th March 2022