A new report on child and illegal religious marriages in the Netherlands suggests some 250 under-18s may get married  every year.

The report by researchers at the Verwey-Jonker Institute and Maastricht University was carried out on behalf of the social affairs ministry.

The researchers say the figure is an ‘educated guess’, based on the evidence of social workers, immigration officials and other professionals, and covers the period 2013 and 2014.

Exact figures are hard to establish because in most cases the marriages take place abroad, and in some cases the children are left behind in that country, the report states. Other ceremonies take place within closed communities, out of sight of the Dutch authorities.

Teenagers

The large majority of those involved were aged 16 and 17 and marriages under the age of 14 are very rare, the report states. In the Netherlands, people cannot get married before they reach the age of 18.

Religious ceremonies are not considered formal marriages in Dutch law and marriages abroad involving the under-18s are not recognised until both partners have turned 18.

The report says illegal, religious marriages take place largely within the Afghan, Somali, Surinamese and possibly the Iranian and Pakistani communities. It is also an issue among young Muslim converts and to a lesser extent within the Moroccan and Turkish communities. Boys as well as girls are affected, but to a much lesser extent.

Choice

The social affairs ministry has a €1m annual budget to try to combat forced marriages involving youngsters.

Commenting on the report’s findings, social affairs minister Lodewijk Asscher said: ‘In the Netherlands, you can choose who you want to marry, even if it is someone from the same sex. And it is not allowed to get married before you turn 18.’

‘I consider it important that people in the Netherlands know their rights and duties. Knowledge and awareness are an important key to combating child marriages and improving the position of those who undergo informal marriages.’