A call for tightening the rules on marriages to foreign partners has come from think-tank Migrationwatch.
It comes in the wake of a Home Affairs Committee report, which reported on forced marriages among some sections of the ethnic communities. According to the think-tank, further changes are needed to ensure that young people are not put under pressure to marry.
‘Of course British citizens should be able to marry who ever they choose - provided that they make a free choice without pressure being placed on them. The issue runs wider than forced marriages which the Committee specifically commented upon,’ said Sir Andrew Green, Migrationwatch chairman.
‘It is now time to move on from marriages arranged purely for immigration purposes, often under a degree of family or social pressure that falls short of being actually “forced”.
‘Such marriages cause a lot of misery to those directly involved and are harmful to the cohesion of our society'.
Sir Andrew said a range of measures was needed, including the reinstatement of interviews for marriage visa applicants, particularly in countries with a low average age of applicants.
