Click to play videoLondon: United Kingdom has raised the age for marriage visas to 21 from 18 in an effort to tackle forced marriages. Another condition which has been imposed is that a person wanting applying for marriage visa should be conversant in English.
Forced marriages are said to rampant among South Asians in the UK.
Natasha Khan who is with the Forced Marriages Unit says, "Thirty per cent of our cases are minors who are below 18 years of age."
However, some experts feel that these rules may be misused.
Shaminder Ubhi, Director, Ashiana Project - "we are concerned as these changes will target specific communities," says director, Ashiana Project, Shaminder Ubhi.
Nearly 65 per cent of cases of forced marriages recorded are from Pakistan, 25 per cent from Bangladesh and 15 per cent from India. In 2007, over 400 cases were reported, but the actual numbers are suspected to be higher.
Shaminder Ubhi, Director, Ashiana Project-" To curb the rising numbers of forced marriages a no tolerance approach is needed," adds Ubhi.
There are some fears that the new rules, especially raising the marriage visa age, might target specific communities, especially from the sub-continent.
Also, these new rules act as more of an immigration barrier rather than discouraging forced marriages. The proposals are part of a 12 week consultation before the forced marriages act is formulated in November 2008.
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