Women forced into marriage overseas asked to repay costs

"Got into trouble abroad" is a fucking weird way of describing being taken from the UK to be forced into marriage

Under 16 are not mentioned?

Oh osrry it's right there on op guardian link!

"In March 2017, the Foreign Office announced it would amend its repatriation policy so that British 16- and 17-year-olds who got into difficulty abroad would no longer have to reimburse the government the costs of their journey home. The policy is still in place for people aged 18 and over."

I had only read bbc earier & before thread so didn't read link in op as well

Oh that's good where did you see that?
If it's on BBC I missed it maybe has been updated.

I am baffled generally by the response from govt that it's great value as cheaper than a bank loan or whatever it was. Ridiculous. They aren't buying a sofa FFS they're trying to escape sexual slavery / imprisonment etc

I'm reassured to see that British women under 18 years are repatriated for free.

Fucking outrageous.
I saw it too.
What are they thinking?
Have they an understanding of whether the costs have meant that women didn't take the help? > Or don't they have records of reports vs women taken home?

I was properly flabbergasted at this.

The women in Somali had been chained up and flogged FFS they were imprisoned and brutalised > UK women > who are told no we won't help you unless you cough up?
Then they take their passports away.

It's a travesty IMO.

I don't have an issue with the government recouping costs in some situations like this. I don't think it's the taxpayer's job to necessarily fund every repatriation. But those costs should be recouped by the people who sent them in the first place, not the innocent victims FFS!

Another vote for perpetrators being pursued for costs.
Forced into marriage, forced into debt when neither should be tolerated.

I too think that the perpetrators should have the charge put against them wherever possible.

Unfair .

This is disgraceful. The costs should be imposed on the people who sent them there in the first place if they need to be recouped. Perpetrators of the criminal act should be made to pay. It might act as a deterrent to parents who do this if they know that they may have to pay repatriation costs. They are the criminals, after all.

The Times has done a lot of articles in recent months about forced marriages and honour killings, so this is obviously an area of real concern to them. I first took out a Times digital subscription to follow their Brexit coverage, but stayed for the gender criticism and other areas of social concern.

Link to the original Times article:

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/forced-marriage-victims-charged-fee-to-be-rescued-jmnx88hxg?shareToken=47fe7d6230a037384ff4858bcc7f4891

The statement read out on Radio 5 this morning said that they had to ask the women to pay the money back because it was public money. Is that true of all public money that is spent by foreign offices? I bet not.

I heard about this on Today this morning. Women are not allowed to get a new passport until the loan is repaid but are not able to get a job without proof of their right to work (i.e. a passport for most people). It is shocking yet simultaneously not at all surprising. According to the FCO it's ok because the terms of the loans they have to repay are better than private loans. I feel they may have somewhat missed the point there...

Is there a crowdfunder setup to get them safely home?