Providing further evidence that modern-day England has not necessarily been enriched by ethnic, cultural and religious diversity, welfare assistance is reportedly being provided to polygamous households.
Under Section 57 of the 1861 Offences Against the Person Act, bigamy is a criminal offence in England.
Indeed, contracting a multi-spouse or bigamous marriage locally violates statutory law under this Act, carrying a potential prison sentence of up to seven years.
In addition to this, under the 1973 Matrimonial Causes Act, marriages performed must be monogamous – entering a polygamous marriage is illegal and courts can treat such domestic unions as void.
However, there is a “loophole” – the UK may legally recognise a polygamous marriage that took place abroad if all parties involved were domiciled in a country where polygamy was permitted at the time of the marriage.
While strictly regulated by law (often limiting men to four wives in accordance with sharia and requiring proof of equal financial and emotional support), polygamy is legal in many Muslim-majority countries.
This includes prominent migrant countries of origin in modern Britain, such as Pakistan and Bangladesh.
There is also the matter of polygamy being facilitated on British soil through private religious ceremonies – such as the nikkah (a formal Islamic marriage ceremony and contract that legally unites a couple under Sharia law).
Nikkah-only unions have no legal force under UK civil law, meaning that women involved in such arrangements do not benefit from automatic spousal rights in the event of relationship breakdown.
This risks nikkah-only unions in Britain being a powerful tool of patriarchal control.
Existing studies suggest that over 100,000 people living in the UK are part of religious-only, unregistered unions – with most mosques not demanding civil registration as a prerequisite for orchestrating a nikkah in Britain.
The estimated scale of unregistered marriages in the UK – and the potential for this to facilitate the practice of polygamy – is a fundamental failure of multiculturalism and integration.
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In accordance with the 1861 Offences Against the Person Act and the 1973 Matrimonial Causes Act, polygamous households simply should not exist in Britain – never mind be the beneficiaries of cash top-ups provided by the welfare state.
It is scandalous that the welfare system appears to be rewarding damaging religio-cultural practices which are illegal in the country.
Moving forward, the UK should not recognise any polygamous marriage – even if it took place in a country where it is legal for a man to have more than one wife.
If a prospective male migrant wants to resettle in the UK but has a history of practising polygamy in his country of origin, he should not be granted entry.
Also, while Britain should take pride in its rich tradition of religious freedom, this should not be exploited.
The British state should require mosques to require couples to provide proof of civil registration before performing their nikkah.
If Islamic institutions in Britain are found to be facilitating polygamous marriages through private religious ceremonies, they should be punished – with one option, if available, being the revocation of their charitable status.
This will promote integration by underscoring the value of civil marriage and empower women through automatic matrimonial rights under UK law.
Having grown in popularity, Muslim matrimonial apps/matchmaking services should be more strictly regulated by the British state – discouraged from offering men domiciled in the UK the option to express their intention to practice polygamy.
It is time for the British state to draw a firm line in the sand – bigamy and polygamous marriages should have no place in Britain.
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