Polygamy
This briefing paper deals with when polygamous marriages might be legally recognised in England and Wales; immigration issues; social security benefits and pension entitlement.

Many Members of Parliament are dealing with a lot of enquiries from constituents asking how relatives or friends in Afghanistan might be able to come to the UK and there is considerable interest in the effectiveness of the bespoke resettlement and relocation schemes for Afghan nationals.
UK immigration routes for Afghan nationals (590 KB , PDF)
The UK has introduced special immigration provisions for some Afghan civilians who were previously employed by the UK government, and a resettlement scheme for certain groups of people in Afghanistan and neighbouring countries. It has not introduced concessions for other Afghans with links to the UK. For example, Afghan family members of UK residents are subject to the same visa requirements as other nationalities.
The GOV.UK page Support for British and non-British nationals in Afghanistan provides an overview of UK immigration routes potentially relevant to people in Afghanistan and provides contact details for people in need of assistance from the UK Government.
There are no functioning visa application centres in Afghanistan. Afghans can apply at a centre in a neighbouring country if they judge it is safe to travel and can obtain the necessary permissions to enter the country.
The UK has established bespoke immigration routes for some people affected by the situation in Afghanistan.
The Afghan Citizens’ Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) aims to resettle in the UK up to 20,000 people over the next few years.
It launched in January 2022 and around 6,300 places have been used so far for referral pathway 1 which is for people who arrived in the UK under the summer 2021 evacuation exercise (‘Operation Pitting’).
The two remaining referral pathways launched to some eligible groups of people still in Afghanistan or neighbouring countries in summer 2022. In the first year of operation they are expected to provide resettlement to:
Some Afghan civilians (and family members) who were previously employed by the British government and fear reprisals from the Taliban may be eligible for relocation in the UK.
As at 3 November 2022 over 11,600 individuals had been relocated to the UK under the ARAP scheme (including during the August 2021 evacuation). The Ministry of Defence estimates that around 4,600 Afghans (including dependants) are still eligible for relocation. Around 1,600 of these people have already received a relocation offer. Not all are expected to relocate.
There are over 72,200 ARAP applications still waiting a decision, the vast majority of which are anticipated to be ineligible for relocation.
Criticisms common to the ACRS, ARAP and ex gratia schemes include:
Many of these issues were raised during a Backbench Business Committee debate on the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme: Pathway 3, held on 19 January 2023.
Depending on their circumstances, Afghan citizens who are ineligible for the above schemes might be able to qualify for another UK visa route, such as:
UK immigration routes for Afghan nationals (590 KB , PDF)
This briefing paper deals with when polygamous marriages might be legally recognised in England and Wales; immigration issues; social security benefits and pension entitlement.
There will be a debate on e-petition 604472 concerning immigration fees for healthcare workers in Westminster Hall. This debate will take place on 30 January 2023 at 16:30 and will be led by Tonia Antoniazzi MP.
What safe and legal immigration routes are available to people wanting to come to the UK for humanitarian reasons, how many people use them, and what is the Government's position on establishing more?