What is transnational marriage abandonment and who does it impact? Safeguarding Adviser, Jo Perrin, discusses the impact, the law and the signs schools should look out for…

Over the years, the children’s workforce has become much more informed about the impact of Domestic Abuse on children in a household. The Domestic Abuse Act 2021 further assists this work to support children, who are now seen as victims in their own right. 

What is Transnational Marriage Abandonment? 

Transnational marriage abandonment, also known as “stranded spouses”, is a little-discussed form of Domestic Abuse and heavily linked to practices of controlling and coercive behaviour. The victims are almost always women, and the practice is most common amongst female victims from South East Asia, particularly India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, but there are also notable cases from parts of Africa and Afghanistan.   

A victim is married to a UK national who sponsors a spousal visa for the victim to reside in the UK. The victim is then abandoned or stranded abroad, usually without financial resources, with the aim of preventing them from returning to the UK. If there are children involved, the children may be left in the UK or may be abandoned with the wife.  

Occasionally children are split up and one child may remain in the UK, but another may be abandoned with the wife – this may occur if the abandoned child has a disability or additional need. 

The extent of this type of abuse is not known, as the aim of the practice is to circumvent legal protections that exist in the UK in order to avoid rules set out in the Domestic Abuse Act, migrant DA victim concessions rules and protections of the family court system. 

What is the impact? 

Given the fact that gender roles may remain unequal in some affected communities, patriarchal power is strong, and victims can become more vulnerable. There is often a huge stigma for the wife’s family as divorce is often not accepted in their community which adds to the vulnerability of women who are abandoned and any children in their care.    

There can be added difficulties where a dowry has been involved as this can be interpreted that the woman’s “inheritance” has been spent, so she can be vulnerable returning to birth family as there may be limited financial support.

What does the law say? 

The positive news is that both Family Courts and UK Immigration Law do recognise this practice as a form of abuse – since a celebrated court case in 2022, AM, R (On the Application Of) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2022] EWHC 2591 (Admin) (14 October 2022), women abandoned abroad are now protected in the same was as women abandoned in England would be, as otherwise it is seen as discrimination.  

This gives legal recourse to these women abandoned abroad even when their visa has ended. Re-entry to the UK may even be fast-tracked if there are children involved, due to the detrimental impact on children of having their education and support network removed. 

What Can Schools Look Out For? 

Schools may not know this is about to happen – but there are key safeguarding things staff should be noting and recording.   

Some tips are as follows: 

• Train your staff in recognising all types of Domestic Abuse. Talk about controlling and coercive behaviour and what types of comments from a parent or a child might be concerning and need recording. 

• If a child talks of any forthcoming trip – just as we would for concerns around FGM, professionals need to gain as much information about who is going, where anyone is going, what the purpose of the trip is etc in advance. If the parent collects the child and you feel it would not put the child at further harm, ask the parent about it too. 

• Put discussion around healthy and unhealthy relationships in the curriculum in an age and stage appropriate way. Signpost children to who they can talk to. Talk about human rights and the law where appropriate.   

• Ensure staff note any comments about wider family – as in-laws (particularly female in-laws) have been seen to be heavily involved in perpetrating abuse on women in the home. Domestic servitude being enforced on the wife is not uncommon. Routine humiliation, surveillance and harassment is usually seen. This is gendered abuse and common where generations of family live together or there are extremely close family networks, so work with children on who is in the household and the relationships seen. Train staff to consider what would be heard and seen that is of concern. 

Summary  

This horrific abuse affects families, including vulnerable children and therefore we should ensure to extend the same level of knowledge and support for victims as we would with any other type of Domestic Abuse.  

Here women are treated as disposable commodities in a man’s life and sometimes his own children are too. Our knowledge of safeguarding is never complete, so this might be something to add to your training topics list to support the vulnerable. 

If you want more support on this topic, or any safeguarding issue, please don’t hesitate to contact our expert safeguarding advisers at safeguarding@servicesforeducation.co.uk.   

If you found this blog useful, you may also be interested in reading the following blogs: 

• Human Rights and Safeguarding
• The Impact of Parental Alcohol and Substance Misuse on Children
• Ending Violence Against Women and Girls in the UK

 About the Author

Jo Perrin - Interim School Support Lead,  Adviser, Services For Education

Jo Perrin is a seasoned Education Adviser with a strong background in safeguarding. She has held key roles as a Designated Safeguarding Lead and pastoral lead in the education sector. Facilitating training to enhance the knowledge and skills of professionals working directly with children and young people is her passion.

With a wealth of experience in teaching PSHE and expertise in childhood trauma from her time as a foster carer, Jo is dedicated to supporting organisations that work with children and vulnerable adults on safeguarding issues. She is actively involved in professional safeguarding groups in the West Midlands and is currently collaborating on a research project with colleagues from the University of Birmingham and the NHS focusing on FGM awareness within communities. Jo’s has worked as a West Midlands' Adviser for national PSHE resources, presented at the Sex Education Forum National Members' Event and authored an advertorial for PSM magazine and an article for SEND magazine.

Jo's expertise extends to training on topics such as Safer Recruitment and Mental Health at Work. She is also a facilitator for the nationally recognised NPQSL qualification, supporting senior leaders in education. Her contributions to publications and development of resources for RSE provision have been well-received by schools nationally and internationally.

With her extensive experience and dedication to professional development, Jo Perrin is a highly respected figure in the field of education. Her guidance on safeguarding, mental health awareness, personal development, and relationships education is highly valued within the industry.