An investigation has uncovered advertisements for polygamous relationships in ethnic and religious minority communities in the United Kingdom.
| PULSE POINTS |
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Polygamous relationships are being advertised openly on Muslim matchmaking apps and social media groups in the United Kingdom, according to a new investigation. 📺 DETAIL: The investigation uncovered multiple examples of polygamous relationships being publicly promoted in ethnic and religious minority communities. In one case, Muslima, a Muslim matchmaking app available on major app stores, was shown to include a filters for polygamy, including “Accept polygamy”, “Maybe accept polygamy,” and “Don’t accept polygamy.” The investigation also uncovered Facebook groups for men seeking “second wives.” The selection processes for the marriages included interviews with existing family members and specifications for housing arrangements. The investigation also uncovered a British Bengali matchmaking group advertising additional wives, with the advertisers asking for “CV and pictures.” In one particular case, a woman posted on behalf of her husband seeking “a suitable match as a second wife” who understood “the dynamics of a plural marriage.” 🎯 IMPACT: Civil polygamy is illegal in Britain. However, while civil polygamous marriages are disallowed under British law, informal arrangements, such as sharia marriages, are not criminalized. Moreover, certain overseas polygamous marriages are financially recognized, allowing additional spouses to claim welfare benefits. While the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) claims that such arrangements are rare, the fact that such marriages are being advertised openly raises questions about the extent to which taxpayer funds are being used to support polygamous marriages. This follows reports that additional spouses in polygamous households are set to receive £125.25 (~$168.08) per week in Pension Credit or Housing Benefit. The main claimant and first spouse receive a weekly sum of £363.25 (approximately $487.45) while additional spouses receive a smaller, supplementary payment. These benefits are available for marriages legally conducted overseas in countries where polygamy is lawful. 📺 FLASHBACK: This is not the first time the United Kingdom has grappled with Islamic marriage customs. In 2024, Iqbal Mohamed, a Muslim Member of Parliament (MP), defended first-cousin marriage amongst ethnic and religious minorities, which is extremely prevalent among Pakistanis. The Muslim MP argued that “ordinary people see family intermarriage as something that is very positive overall; as something that helps to build family bonds and puts families on a more secure financial foothold.” |
Join Pulse+ to comment below, and receive exclusive e-mail analyses.
KEY QUOTE:
.jpg){kind=link}
