Britain raises marriage visa age

New Delhi: The age at which someone can apply for a marriage visa will increase from 18 to 21 as part of the UK government's action against forced marriages, the British Home Office announced on Wednesday.

The five key proposals announced are 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 cancel permission to stay in the UK 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.

British Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said, "Forced marriages lead 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 checking anyone entering into a marriage does so of their own free will, and demanding that those coming to the UK learn English."

Any British citizen applying to 'sponsor' someone to come to the UK as their spouse will have to declare their intention before they leave the UK and marry abroad.

Practical guidance is also being introduced so that UK Border Agency (UKBA) staff can identify any risk of abuse or those who are vulnerable to forced marriage and prevent them from being coerced into marriage.

Tough new rules will mean that anyone abusing the marriage visa system will be removed from the UK by the UKBA under a new power to remove people's right to stay in the country.

Also spouses will need to sign up to an agreement to learn English, something that the UKBA will be checking on. If they fail to do so, their permission to stay could be cancelled.

The new guidelines will help ensure that police, teachers and health workers can recognise the signs of a forced marriage, take action and help victims escape.

The new proposals on marriage visas fulfil a number of recommendations from the Home Affairs Committee, relating to forced marriage.