'Just the tip of the iceberg!' GB News guest offers bleak assessment as data shows children aged five and under facing forced marriage

New Home Office figures obtained by a Freedom of Information request from the Press Association revealed at least 100 children under the age of 12 have been referred to the Government's forced marriage unit in the past five years.

The data also includes at least 27 children aged just five and under who were reported to the unit.

Forcing someone to marry is a criminal offence across the UK and in 2023 the legal age of marriage was raised from 16 to 18 in England and Wales.

Discussing the data on the People's Channel, Ms Khan stressed many cases go unreported, meaning the true figure could be far worse.

She said: "This issue is very sensitive and very important, and I believe that this figure is likely just the tip of the iceberg, because many cases remain unreported.

"Disturbingly, this total includes 27 children who are under the age of five, and these statistics are horrifying. One child being dropped off of her childhood and forced into marriage is one too many, and it is unimaginable how this has been allowed to happen."

Khadija Khan has warned the latest data on forced marriage for children is 'just the tip of the iceberg'

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Ms Khan argued despite the practice being illegal, it has been happening "under the nose of authorities" and often is claimed to be an arranged marriage.

She told Britain's News Channel: "We can no longer pretend that we have been sleepwalking through this nightmare. This has long been happening under the nose of the authorities.

"In a free society such as Britain, no one has the right to force someone to do something against their will. Forcing someone to marrying is a criminal offence across the UK. Despite this, forced marriages remain a pervasive issue within certain communities."

Ms Khan continued: "The Pakistani community, Bangladeshi community and Afghan community, in many cases the practice of forced marriage has been euphemistic for arranged marriage. Some families, they force their children to marry for respecting religious and cultural traditions.

"Some are concerned about the family's reputation and honour, some want to keep families wealth consolidated, some seek to marry off their children in exchange for money. Some make promises at birth regarding future marriages, which can be carried out many years later.

"But forced marriage in any way, shape or form is illegal in the UK and it is staggering to see that it is still happening."

Dame Jasvinder Sanghera, who ran away from her Derby home aged 14 when faced with the prospect of a forced marriage, said the number of children reported under the age of five was "deeply disturbing".

She said: "I know that when schools open in September, there will be missing children. The opportunity to identify them was pre-school holidays. Is somebody going to ask where they are, or are they simply just going to go off school roll?

Khadija Khan told GB News it is 'staggering' the practice is still happening in the UK

GB NEWS

"Or children will come back engaged or even married."

A Department for Education spokesman said: "There is nothing more important than the safety of our children.

"Our strengthened 'Keeping Children Safe in Education' guidance provides staff with robust information to help identify different types of abuse and harm – including abusive behaviour such as forced marriage – and clearly sets out what all school staff should know and do and how to respond to any concerns about a child.

"Our new RSHE (relationships, sex and health education) curriculum will also teach pupils from this September about positive relationships, staying safe, recognising and reporting risks and abuse – with different forms of abuse addressed sensitively and clearly at appropriate ages."