Forced marriages in Finland remain hidden as victims fear speaking out

By admin On May 19, 2025

Photo: ICPonline

Dozens of forced marriages are uncovered in Finland each year, many involving underage girls and some occurring within Finland’s borders. Authorities say such cases often remain hidden and are only revealed when victims feel safe enough to speak.

The Finnish Assistance System for Victims of Human Trafficking has recorded 380 victims of forced marriage since 2017. Roughly one-third of these marriages took place in Finland. Others were arranged abroad, with some victims brought from Finland to other countries to be married.

Terhi Tafari, senior adviser at the Assistance System, said many victims come forward only in adulthood, often after a key family member has died or left. “Typically, help is only sought years after the forced marriage took place,” she said.

A court in Southwest Finland last week sentenced a man to more than six years in prison for aggravated human trafficking, child abduction, and deprivation of liberty. The case involved Nasrin Ebrahim, who was married off at the age of 13 to an older male relative and brought to Finland under false pretences. She later disclosed her story to the police.

While convictions for forced marriage remain rare, Tafari said the details of Ebrahim’s case were sadly familiar. “It was painful to read how alone she was as a child,” Tafari said. “But her experiences are not unique.”

Yle has also reported the story of Lilian (name changed), who was raised in Finland before being sent to Iraq at age 13. Her parents feared she was becoming “too Finnish” and left her with relatives, who later married her off to an older cousin. She only spoke out after her father’s death.

According to Tafari, victims often do not perceive themselves as victims, especially when they have been raised in environments where early or arranged marriages are seen as normal. “It is common for minors to say they agreed to the marriage, even dreamed of it. That’s all they knew,” Tafari said.

She emphasised the importance of identifying signs of coercion early, including when women cannot attend medical or immigration appointments without an escort. “If a woman needs someone to accompany her to a health check-up or official meeting, and that person insists on speaking for her or never leaves her side, alarm bells should ring.”

The Assistance System sees most cases involving citizens of Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, and Finland. Some victims arrive as asylum seekers or through family reunification channels. Many of the reported forced marriages had ended before victims arrived in Finland.

Tuuli Hong, a lawyer and legal scholar specialising in honour-based violence, said forced marriage is often used to preserve family reputation. “If a girl is seen as a threat to the family’s honour, marrying her off can be seen as a way to exert control.”

Hong helped prepare a change to Finland’s criminal code that clarifies the legal status of forced marriage. The amendment, which took effect at the beginning of the year, defines forced marriage as a form of human trafficking.

Religious communities in Finland have also been cited in reports of forced or coerced marriages. Svenska Yle has reported that individuals in some Christian groups remain in marriages they entered voluntarily but are now unable to leave due to religious or social pressure. Under Finnish law, denial of divorce may constitute a forced marriage.

Hong hopes that the high-profile conviction in the Ebrahim case will encourage more victims to speak up. “It’s important for victims to see that legal proceedings can deliver justice,” she said.

Tafari added that understanding is improving among Finnish authorities. “We now know fairly well that if someone is always accompanied by a person who monitors what they say, that person should be given the chance to speak alone.”

Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi