Safeguarding (forced marriage?)

[FlyingOverAllOceans]

Organisation I work for have said they won't see this as a safeguarding issue, need people to give my head a wobble.

Young women, previously married to a relative, very vulnerable, now flying abroad to marry someone who she has never met other than through video calls, engaged a week after first meeting, introduced by a family member, no visa for the UK for the gentleman, hence marriage abroad which would then give him a visa (not sure if this would actually happen).

Safeguarding right?

I would say yes probably but it depends whether she has agreed to it or been coerced. Even if she has agreed that casts doubt about her decision making so on reflection it would not hurt to involve the safeguarding team.

How old?

Does she want to do this or has she asked for help?

If still a child then definitely a safeguarding issue. If technically an adult she may still have few options in her culture. It's not always simple to get a VISA for a spouse. https://www.gov.uk/uk-family-visa/partner-spouse

Adult but under 25.

Not sure that safeguarding is applicable in the same way to adults unless they are classed as vulnerable such as disabled or extremely elderly.

Contact Karma Nirvana. Adults can be coerced or forced. Very unlikely he will get a visa unless she earns over 29,000 due to new visa requirements coming in within weeks. She'll be stuck out there. If she doesn't know this then choice is not informed.

Forced marriage is crime. Do you have reason to believe that she is being forced? If she has agreed to an arranged marriage then as she is an adult this would be neither a crime nor a safeguarding issue.

Another vote for Karma Nirvana. They can give advice re what can be done given her age, and maybe she can speak to them.

It would be if she were a minor, definitely. It's one of the first things we teach on our training courses.
Given she's an adult, sadly unlikely to be, unless the "vulnerable" indicates a lack of mental capacity.
Do get advice though as above.

Contact the Forced Marriage Unit (run by Home Office and FCO). They can offer advice and support and if necessary, prevent someone from leaving the country for the purposes of a forced marriage. They can also rescue people from abroad. This all depends on the marriage being forced, though. 'Forced', by the way,' does not necessarily involve any violence, it can be undue pressure, threats, etc.

May be being coerced

sounds like a disaster waiting to happen

she definitely needs help

if she is Muslim, I have links with a small charity that does some work specifically around Muslims escaping forced marriages...