The Foreign Office is seeking to recoup the cost of repatriating young women who have been forced into marriages overseas, it has been revealed, prompting charities to criticise the government for making women “pay for their protection”.
An investigation found that many of the 82 victims of forced marriage repatriated in 2016-17 had to pay for living costs incurred between making distress calls and returning home, as well as their airfare, while others received loans from the Foreign Office.
They had to give up their passports as a condition of the loan until they repaid the debt, with a surcharge added to unpaid bills after six months.
Source: Women forced into marriage overseas asked to repay cost of return to UK | Society | The Guardian