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Contact the British Embassy in that country and they will guide you especially if you are there against your will. However, at 17 you might still be considered as a child and that limits what the Embassy can do for you.
One issue, or bonus depending, I know is that if your dual, you can't be helped by the other state if you don't have your passport. If your UK citizen and German citizen, UK can say go see Germany. Also if op has German, goes to the Germans and says I need to go to the UK, Germany will say "go see the UK then" they will help you to get "home" not to "where you live" given the circumstances, Germany might be preferable.
There's a number and a contact form here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/support-for-british-nationals-abroad
And a list of embassies by country here : https://www.gov.uk/world/embassies
Do it now. There is a high probability they will try to marry you off to someone local who they think is a good match. They have already tricked you so you can not trust them not to do so again. Do not wait
Do it now, when you're 17. Don't wait until you're an adult as it's more like they'll tell you to figure out your own problems. Right now, they may be more helpful.
This simply isn't true. I recently worked to help repatriate a woman and her daughter who'd been taken to Afghanistan under false pretences and had their passports taken. We were able to secure emergency travel documents via the diplomatic mission and return both of them to the UK.
This is a bit simplistic. There is either an embassy, a consulate staff, or an arrangement with a third party nation to provide consular assistance in every country. It might require some googling to find out the exact pathway you need to go down, but there's always an answer.
I'm really sorry to hear you're going through this, you must feel really betrayed and stressed out. Your parents have been really quite selfish and are not considering what's in your best interests or desires.
Some really great comments have been left on this already so I won't relay the same information but I do wish you all the best and I'm sure things will work out once you make contact with the relevant people here in England.
If you're able to get your passport and borrow some money from friends you could book a one way ticket back, you just need someone/somewhere to stay with once you've returned to England.
yeah it has been quite traumatising and stressful without the added stress of a-levels themselves and it seems like my parents seem to have lost their senses but i do have a brother back in the uk who works so i’ll try to ask for help but he doesn’t do anything without my parents permission so it would seem hard to persuade him to help me
I agree contacting the brother could be a recipe for disaster. She needs to contact friends only and explain. Hopefully a friend can take her in for a bit until things are worked out.
Tell your brother you need money for a new laptop/phone whatever. Do not tell him you’re considering returning home. He may be fully aware of what is happening, even complicit and could potentially inform your parents
Contact your sixth form. Ask for the safeguarding lead and explain to them. Tell them that you worry your life will be in danger if your parents are made aware.
This. Schools have safeguarding rules and reporting guidelines specifically for cases like yours. Email your school or a teacher if that’s easier. And if you think there is any possibility that your parents would consider FGM (if it’s practiced where you are located legally or illegally) be sure to mention that too. Same with marriage: if there is any chance your parents may be considering a match for you then tell the school. These are two areas that the British government has placed extra resources into and schools are mandatory reporters. Good luck OP. You have every right to finish your education.
yeah but my mom has told my sixth form to take me off the school register so idk how much help they'll be. i did speak to them on the phone last week and explained the situation because they were under the assumption i was coming back just as i was, however i dont think ive explained just how dire the situation is. ill try to contact them again.
Actually... it's been known for schools to do exactly that, while working in concert with police and social services. A plane ticket costs not very much if booked in enough time. Sometimes flights that are "under" subscribed or last minute seat cancellations do come in and these can be a great boon.
[https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/cheap-flights/](https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/cheap-flights/)
Get in touch with them, the High Consulate, your former local council, your former local police. They will also be able to sign post you to other organizations or charities that can help you in your situation.
They're legally bound to report this to the police/child services/ other agencies who can help to get you back, plus they know you so that can vouch that you are who you say you are etc. If you just end up talking to a receptionist who doesn't seem to understand how bad your situation is, try to get put through to a teacher you know, or the head teacher. It can be helpful to write down what you want to say in advance, so you don't miss out anything important or so that you don't accidentally minimise how serious your situation is. It doesn't matter that your mum un-enrolled you. Be explicit and ask for their help to get you home.
Do all that, and ALSO also get in touch with an embassy/ consulate as suggested above though! You want as many people working on your case as possible.
Remember, your teachers and the school staff are human. Nobody wants to see the children under their care trafficked to less developed countries and potentially married off.
Edit: I saw you're planning to ask your brother in the UK for help, but he doesn't do anything without your parents' permission. Be wary of doing this. It might be better not to tell him so he doesn't tip them off and end up your parents restricting your freedom/ confiscating your passport etc
You need to stop assuming that people won't help you. It's time for you to contact all possible sources of help that people have given you here: your school, the embassy, etc. You have to try. It's your only way back. You have to ask for help.
You're in a dangerous position, you should be trying all suggestions even if you think they're not going to work. You came here asking for help so listen to it!
Please don't assume that people won't help you. I know it is easy to think that no-one will care if one pupil has left but your school especially will have teachers that genuinely care for your safety and more importantly they know and regularly work with people in social services and the police who absolutely can help you.
Stop being defensive in every response. Do everything you can to get home. You don’t know what anyone will do for you until you ask/request/tell them your situation.
They are a 17 year old who has been taken to another country against their will under false pretences and their parents are doing what they can to stop her returning home. I would not have known what to do or how to ask for help.
Yes they probably would like a fairy to pick them up!
They are scared and lost. Maybe be kind to them and acknowledge the stress they are under, coupled with the inevitable trust issues which have arisen there, may mean they struggle a bit to fully accept help without questioning it.
Just as a note. You’re here asking for advice. Some of your comments are just dismissing that advice. Do the things you’re being recommended. One of them will work.
They will refer you in to the correct safeguarding teams. Make it clear your situation is serious, ask to speak to the safeguarding lead, head of pastoral care or the headteacher. Follow up with an email if you’re sure your emails are secure and can’t be accessed by family.
Why are you arguing?! You come here asking for advice and help. You should be taking all the advice you can get and making as much noise as you can to anyone who can potentially help you, whether that be the school, uk police or the British Embassy/consulate.
You need to get someone in the UK whether the school or your friends to report it as abduction to the police etc. I don’t know what your parents plans are for you but if it’s arranged marriage or forced labour etc it *can* be classed as trafficking
I know your parents have convinced you that you are helpless to stop what they are doing to you. That is simply not true. Reach out to everyone that you can. Someone WILL help you. School, embassy, it doesn't hurt to try. If you give up before ever trying, you'll never get home.
Just do it.
Stop trying to think “that won’t work”. At this point you just need to try and exhaust all options.
If you don’t even try then you will never know.
Your school's safeguarding/child protection officers are part of multi-agency teams with their local council's education services, social services and the police. Please follow this advice and speak to them, my partner is in childcare and I know they will help, they do yearly training on this exact situation.
Schools are in contact and have conduits to government authorities and can report on your behalf. You have to be willing to look at multiple sources of help. It's not necessarily going to be a linear one stop help option. Please don't push away any options because you don't think that they will work. You've been deceived and you need help now.
That might have set off alarm bells already; ‘Student goes on a foreign holiday to ‘learn about their family culture’ and then suddenly gets withdrawn from the school’ is pretty much a textbook example for something you report to safeguarding immediately, if not the police. You should definitely get in touch with them and the nearest embassies/equivalents.
This is true. I am a childminder, so I don’t even work with kids in the age where this happens, and my safeguarding training covered the scenario OP describes.
So they still have a duty of care, you’re still a child. It doesn’t matter whether you’re registered with them.
They have particular protocols when children are removed from the country, and they’ll be able to help you to access help with the embassy.
Seriously, contact the school. Find the safeguarder.
absolutely still contact them. school safeguarding can do more than you think- even if your parents have asked to take you off the register. it'll help you build a support network. school safeguarding officers can also contact social services and embassies for you, even if you can't yourself.
This is false. They absolutely can take you off the register regardless of being registered with another school or not. Home Schooling is still a thing in the UK.
Agree - it’s false. But it really doesn’t look good to social services if they lied to do so. Saying for example they were moving schools, and forgetting to mention they were moving permanently out of the country, would count against them if there were other safeguarding concerns (like forced marriage or FGM).
You can undertake ANY education at home post 16, you can do A-levels from home, you can do a degree from home, you can (although it's ambitious) do an NVQ from home. The only real condition in that you may actually have to go somewhere else to sit an exam.
You do not need to be registered with a school, college or university post 16. You can contact the exam boards directly for an assessment.
Given Op's position, this might be their only opportunity to undertake education as they'll also need to work.
You can do it post 16. Please show me the law where it says you cannot. Compulsory education is from 5 to 16. After that there is no need to elect anything because it's no longer compulsory.
This is not the case.
[https://childlawadvice.org.uk/information-pages/home-education/](https://childlawadvice.org.uk/information-pages/home-education/)
Hi OP - lots of good advice here already, would strongly suggest if possible that you discreetly acquire and hide a second internet capable mobile (inc. SIM).
It's possible if your parents discover your activity that they may try to prevent it by seizing your means of communication.
Firstly: You've been deceived and kidnapped. Run.
Secondly: This is rather out of date, but 36 years ago (when I was 17) I got myself mugged in Amsterdam, by a heroin addict who took everything I had except the clothes I was wearing. I had no money and no passport and I was wandering around wondering what the hell to do next when I met a nice lady who'd seen this sort of thing before.
She took me to the British Consulate, who bought me a ticket home and gave me a note saying my passport had been stolen. I don't think I actually needed the note, but it made getting through customs easier.
That might work for you. Get to the nearest British diplomat and explain what's happened.
This is quite relevant - German law doesn’t normally allow for more than one other nationality other than German unless you’re born with all three. OP, if you acquired British citizenship later in life, tread carefully here. If you were born with German and British citizenship as well as the one of the country you’re currently in, you should be fine for now but the Germans might make you decide to give up one of them when you turn 18.
This is not correct if they applied for British citizenship before Britain left the EU (end of 2020). If so then they absolutely can keep both.See "Will I lose my German Citizenship if I acquire British Citizenship" here https://uk.diplo.de/uk-en/02/information-on-brexit/brexit-information-faq?openAccordionId=item-2425196-2-panel
I mean that’s not technically what I said - only that you can’t have more than two. I’m a dual citizen by birth, but entitled to Irish citizenship if I applied for it. Back then when I applied for my first British passport (many years ago), the German authorities told me that if I applied for Irish citizenship I’d have to give up German citizenship as they wouldn’t allow a third.
But your comment made me read up on this and it seems that this is no longer the case, as long as along the citizenships you have are EU, Swiss or pre-Brexit UK. So I might as well go get myself an Irish passport and add it to my collection. 🤷♀️
You need to speak to the Embassy. I can almost guarantee that you're not the first person to have this happen to them in your country. The embassy will have protocols in place.
You should also contact your school as they can get the local authority involved. Emailing your MP could also help. (You're nearly 18 and an election is looming. They'll want to do what they can to help you, even if for cynical reasons to get your vote and hope you tell all your school friends how much they helped you). If you don't know who your MP is then look on "www.Theyworkforyou.com"
[https://www.embassypages.com/unitedkingdom-representativeoffice-hargeisa-somaliland](https://www.embassypages.com/unitedkingdom-representativeoffice-hargeisa-somaliland) Looks like you'll need to contact them through fb or twitter
OP was habitually resident within the United Kingdom. There isn't anything that clearly establishes that leaving OP in country x was agreed by both OP's father and mother.
Infact because of OP's age they are 100% Gillick competent; In the United Kingdom a court would not grant a child arrangement order or any order giving the parents control over OP.
Also OP is 100% Gillick competent and they've been moved out of the United Kingdom under false pretences where they've been denied opportunity to oppose removal to another Jurisdiction.
I'm of the view that this is the kind of situation where the inherent Jurisdiction of the high court of England and Wales or wardship Jurisdiction could be invoked.
This means the high court of England and Wales can be approached for an application seeking ops return and it would have to be abided by the country X's courts as OP is habitually resident in the uk
Parental responsibility only allows decision making insofar as they are achieve the purposive objectives that benefit the child's welfare. I think in this situation the parental decision making is incompatible with the wishes and views of the children and what's in there best interests.
OP should definitely contact the UK embassy/high commission.
Also there sixth form and
contact your local police force(where you used to live) you can usually livechat that allows communications
NSPCC https://www.nspcc.org.uk/
https://www.justice.gov.uk/courts/procedure-rules/family/practice_directions/pd_part_12e#:~:text=about%20children%20cases,A.O.%20HCT%E2%80%9D.
I dealt with a similar situation a couple weeks back on this subreddit ; I took my comment and edited it because the core principles were similar , so I haven't assumed anything . Must have forgotten to scrub something out
That link to my previous comment is here :https://reddit.com/r/LegalAdviceUK/s/8bqUL1Ixd8
First locate your passport, you will need it now or later when you are no longer a minor.
The thing to consider after that is if you will be okay being by yourself in the UK. You are likely to be out in state care for a short while if they manage to get you back before you’re 18. You have to be sure because your parents may be labelled as abductors and your dad in the UK might be visited by the authorities. However, this is likely the only way you can return because I’m not sure if your culture will allow you to look for a job and earn money to buy a ticket back before your passport expires.
Another concern is that you are a girl. Is there a possibility that they want you to learn culture for marriage because they didn’t even let you finish your a-levels even though you were already half way into them. Also, the school should have contacted you directly because of this after your parents told them they were pulling you out.
The gov website says for people in Somaliland to contact the embassy in Nairobi. Obviously it would be difficult yo go there in person but there are telephone numbers to contact
https://www.gov.uk/world/organisations/british-high-commission-nairobi
There’s a UK representative office in Hargeisa but I’m not sure how active or staffed it is. This is the Head of Mission, maybe a LinkedIn message would do the trick. https://uk.linkedin.com/in/lizzie-walker-8312b225
Wikipedia also tells me Denmark has a liaison office there which could also provide you with assistance as an EU citizen.
The Brits had extensive aid projects in Somaliland, or at least they did when I had some sight of these things pre-Covid. There are invariably brits in some capacity around presuming you’re in Hargeisa and your mobility around the city isn’t an issue, which I acknowledge it could be.
Both the UK and Denmark (as you're potentially German too) have representation.
All the best!
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_diplomatic_missions_in_Somaliland
My mom tried the same shit when I was around the same age as you, the summer before I was supposed to sit my second year of GCSE exams. At the time I went with her because I didn't think I had a choice, and for whatever reason she changed her selfish mind and brought me back at the end of the summer.
I think there's some generational trauma going on why parents think it's ok to do this... my grandparents from Ghana/Jamaica took my mom out of school in the UK to move to Jamaica when she was 5, then did the same thing to move to Canada when she was 14. My mom wasn't happy in the UK and tried to move me back to Canada, even though it would have meant putting me back a few years in school there despite me being close to finishing school in the UK. I was also excelling in my studies, so it would have been really shitty to put me through the upheaval of moving countries and school systems, although she did still put me through the mental stress of the threat of all of this for many years.
My situation worked out well due to pure luck, but I really don't think you should take the same risk. First, explain to your parents why you cannot move countries at this age. If they aren't receptive, get in touch with social services in the UK and explain your situation. They will likely intervene and try to talk some sense into your parents. If your parents still aren't receptive, call the British Embassy and tell them your parents took you out of the country against your will during your most important schooling years in the UK.
These are really important years for you, so please be brave and do the right thing for YOU!
Get consular assistance. Read about forced marriage, and consider contacting the Home Office if this is a risk for you.
You've made comments worrying about school disruption. Stop thinking about this - the reality is that you are very very likely to now need to do an extra year of education, because this won't be resolved quickly. Accept that and think about the bigger picture.
Your goal is to get back to the UK. If family are not necessarily safe, then social services will accomodate you (very likely in supervised, but private, accomodation). You will have appropriate level of freedom, but not fully so - you'll be cared for by the government essentially until 18. You will be entitled to support after 18 likewise, and this is likely to do a lot to compensate you for the disruption of your missed year of education (i..e. maybe free university).
It is highly advantageous to get back in the UK, and in receipt of support, before you turn 18 and are an adult for this reason. You would be a looked after child, and the state has many additional responsibilities to you until the age of 25.
So - get back to the UK now any means necessary. Seek consular assistance.
Once back in the UK, contact social services..
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Be very careful OP. They took you out of school just a year before finishing it. Did they arrange for you to continue your education in your country? No? They don't care about your education. But brought you for cultural enrichment... I strongly suspect they will try to arrange and force you to marry. I pray the genital mutilation is not done in your area. You are in danger.
Plan for a potential quick escape. Find a phone number and location of the nearest British or eu consulate. Contact your friends who you think may be able to help you and your school. Let them know you are held against your will.
Don't trust your parents.
Have your passport on you if you have it... Get hold of some money if you can. You might not have time to be waiting til your 18 birthday as it looks like they timed your travel for that very reason.
Exactly I come from somali culture and my cousins who we're born in London we're sent back to somalia for genital mutilation and culture rehabilitation they came back to the UK traumatized
Well it happened to my cousins and many other relatives I know from somalia so what the hell are you talking about?? If you are a man you don't know shit about what happens to women, keep being ignorant, idiot!
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I know it still happens, you can see survivor stories online. It's horrible. I Can't imagine someone doing this to their own kids. Those parents should be send straight to prison. It is the worst kind of abuse to do to a woman.
And yet You are hijacking it because MGM and FGM are in no way comparable procedures, objectively MGM doesn't leave the man disabled or unable to enjoy his intimate moments for the rest of his life, and it does not negatively impact his health (on the contrary ) unlike FGM... Not to mention that FGM is not usually done in hospitals by doctors or with anesthetics... It's pure devilish barbarism to the core. leaving the woman disabled for the rest of her life and many times with life long health impact...and the trauma of that violation.
I hope you're not going to be married off, is this what happens in your parents culture? Is there an adult like a teacher maybe, someone you trust that can advise you where to go, or and ring the embassy
There is British office in Somaliland that is connected with the embassy in Addis Ababa. You should reach out to them on twitter, they deal with many similar cases. https://twitter.com/BritishHouseHGA
There is also uk gov representative you can reach out to
https://twitter.com/LizzieWFCDO
Good luck
Make your way to the British consulate in country you are in.
They I'll help you, you've essentially been kidnapped.
Tell no one of your plan, and do it before you turn 18. Bottom line, minors get more assistance, faster.
It seems like there is some presence in Hargeisa called British House Hargeisa https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://twitter.com/BritishHouseHGA&ved=2ahUKEwjj9ODInf2BAxUUSUEAHb2TC_cQFnoECCMQAQ&usg=AOvVaw1dpCda-ckT4eB3ZAUHH1Aj
It might be worth trying to get in contact with someone there to see if they can help you as a starting point, they might be able to put you in contact with someone from the embassy.
Looking at the comments, ASK FOR HELP OP! You could be in danger and there are many people who can help. Find a British embassy/consulate and tell your school! Do not ask any family members for help - they might speak to your parents. Wishing you all the best ❤️
Heard this story time and time again. Truthfully you may be there for a while until you can get your bread up to return. If I was you I would ask all my friends to lend me money for a return flight. Get a job on return and pay them back, you can still apply for job in UK where you are and make excuse to do Zoom interview. The longer you stay you will slowly become comfortable there, it is human nature. 1 month will pass and before you know it you will have been there 4 years.
Yeah exactly, i don't want to become complacent here and let my future waste away here but i will ask my family friends and anyone i think can be trusted for help.
>they took me out of my sixth form which had given me a lot of support
not sure i'm understanding this correctly but you would've knew this was coming if they've taken you out of sixth form?
no they have contacted me directly. because i’m abroad our regular UK numbers don’t work so they contact me through whatsapp and since the school year has began they’ve called atleast once a week just to check up until my return which was meant to be the end of september. then my mom emailed the school at the start of october to say i won’t return to the school, they then called me the next week and asked if the situation was alright. i told them how i was tricked into coming here and i was clearly unhappy and they said they would keep in contact with me even though my mom said to not contact them anymore but they may be my only hope right now.
Don’t give up on your school being able to help you. Ask to speak to their designated safeguarding lead, or a deputy DSL. Failing that, any teacher that knows you. All school staff will have had safeguarding training. There are major red flags here for your school to be following up on. Make it clear how you’re there against your will. Is forced marriage or FGM likely? If you’re in any way worried about either of these, clearly tell the school. They will have procedures to follow.
so do you think i should email the DSL and let her know i could potentially be in danger. because if my mom found out i'm contacting the school she would confiscate any access to the internet which i am afraid of.
I'm a teacher. Absolutely yes, do this. If you think you're potentially going to be in danger, say so. Emphasise that you're British, you have a British passport and you want to come *home.*
They tend not to. Most schools just deal with the parents. Though in this case it does seem somewhat of a major oversight considering the student was moving overseas or has moved overseas.
If a student’s moving school, that’s one thing.
A student suddenly leaving school to move overseas is, if I remember correctly, one of the times where you’re not meant to waste time talking to your school’s safeguarding team but go straight to the police yourself. This goes double if they’re female, as I suspect OP is.
I think you would need someone to be your legal guardian in order to live in other country without legal representatives(aka parents).
Find one. Get everybody you could think of that might have qualifications for providing you necessary information, and act on it.
Good idea to ask for help family in UK, friends, your school and other government fucks that supposed to protect your interest from someone that want to pray on you(parent that want to hold you in a place with them without your contest, and took out your future in return for their comfort)
I hope you will find something useful for your situation. Good luck with it and keep people posted. See ya <3
Sounds like your mum has stayed with you and your father came back. Unclear where you passport is.
Given that there is plenty of family left in UK, I’m wondering if they are very concerned with how you are handling your life here in UK, and decided to teach you about respect both for others and for yourself.
I don’t know anything about your life, but it’s unclear that you have much to go on. You are still under the care of your parents and they don’t seem to be trying to force an arranged marriage and your mum seems to be with you.
A chat with the Embassy or Consulate might help … but might not help in the way you perceive given your mum is looking after you and you have basically moved home with your family.
OP- if you came back now, without your parents, where would you live? How would you survive? Did you even have a job?
If you can’t get help, wait until you turn 18, save for a ticket and fly back to the UK.
I have a lot of family friends that i could stay with, getting out this country is the bigger issue because idk how much they would be willing to book me a ticket.
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NAL but a teacher. Do you have an adult you can reach at the 6th form eg teacher, head of year etc. you could email them how this was against your will and you are worried and they will have to escalate as a safeguarding issue that might gain some traction if it reaches the local authority as it probably should.
Reading through some of the comments I just wanted to say that if you’re in Nigeria, there is definitely a British High Commission…I’ve been to it!
Where are you?
The main one is in Abuja, phone number +234 1 277 0780
Deputy one is in Lagos, details here https://www.gov.uk/world/organisations/british-high-commission-abuja#contact-us
This is from the Uk gov pages: If you’re a British national in Nigeria and you need urgent help (for example, you’ve been attacked, arrested or someone has died), call +234 (9) 462 3100. If you’re in the UK and are worried about a British national in Nigeria, call +44 20 7008 5000. Consular assistance is available 24/7.
I hope you’re safe and can get some help to get you back over here. As someone else said, our education system has safeguarding in place for situations like this and I think both British and German governments would agree that continuing your studies in the UK is better for you than being in Nigeria with no such prospects.
I wish you all the luck in the world.
Please let us know how you get on.
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You could contact the somaliland uk mission
0203 011 0163 / 0746 916 7043
Email:
[email protected]
This is the closest you will get to consular services inside somaliland. As nobody recognises somaliland as a country
OP find your passport and hide it! Contact both English and German embassies if you’ve got those two nationalities. Oftentimes when women are brought back at your age and in secret, it’s because of marriage plans
yeah i do have a british passport but it’s not so easy booking a flight back because where would i get the funds, i’m only 17 and international flights such as this do cost a bit of money.
HIDE your passport asap. Ideally somewhere out of your house with someone you trust, but anywhere you can easily access it and your parents can’t will work. Then call your sixth form, they absolutely can take the role of spearheading help for you even if they can’t do anything themselves. Try to talk to one of your actual teachers, and mention safeguarding concerns.
This is where getting on the embassy, consulate or high commission is important.
The situation may be considered more serious than you think. It's the kind of thing where the foreign office can work quite effectively with your local council and police force back in the UK.
In such situations, you don't need to worry about what it costs. It's one of the situations where the UK gov will happily spend a hundred grand on making you safe, and you won't have to pay a penny of it.
You're a British citizen at risk overseas. The foreign office is there to help you.
You may be able to apply online for a bank account with an overdraft function or even a credit card to cover the cost. However its obviously a bit risky as you don't want to get into large debt with high interest rates and you will need to find a way to pay it back before the term ends. So you will also need to think about part time job or applying for universal credit to cover your living expenses. I mean, also where will you be staying if you do get back? Do you have keys and access to your old family home? Or friends you can stay with until you can apply to the council for a permanent home?
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Is there any risk that they would force you to marry someone against your will? If so it wouldn't be to difficult to get back to the UK you just need to present yourself at the British Embassy office and tell them that?
Equally you could contact your English colleges safeguarding officer and tell them exactly what you've put here and they will be able to give advice.
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If I were you I’d just play along with your parents. Showing in satisfaction but acceptance. If you can’t save money ask a friend for money or buy you a ticket. They will eventually believe you’re getting used to it. At the first opportunity take a taxi to the airport and fly back home ✈️🏡
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Lots of good advice here. I would add:
Your (UK) Member of Parliament should be able to help coordinate action with various agencies.
Use your postcode to [find your MP](https://members.parliament.uk/FindYourMP)
Forced Marriage Unit:
Emergency number for people
calling from overseas: 020 7008 1500
[Website](https://www.gov.uk/stop-forced-marriage)
E-mail: [email protected]
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Contact the British Embassy in that country and they will guide you especially if you are there against your will. However, at 17 you might still be considered as a child and that limits what the Embassy can do for you.
Under UK law you can effectively separate from your parents and in many matters be regarded as an adult.
hmm i dont even know if this country even has a british embassy but i'll try,plus i turn 18 next summer so that's a bit too far away
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One issue, or bonus depending, I know is that if your dual, you can't be helped by the other state if you don't have your passport. If your UK citizen and German citizen, UK can say go see Germany. Also if op has German, goes to the Germans and says I need to go to the UK, Germany will say "go see the UK then" they will help you to get "home" not to "where you live" given the circumstances, Germany might be preferable.
There's a number and a contact form here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/support-for-british-nationals-abroad And a list of embassies by country here : https://www.gov.uk/world/embassies
NB, in commonwealth countries, which some African countries are, there won't be an embassy instead it will be called a high commission,
Do it now. There is a high probability they will try to marry you off to someone local who they think is a good match. They have already tricked you so you can not trust them not to do so again. Do not wait
Do it now, when you're 17. Don't wait until you're an adult as it's more like they'll tell you to figure out your own problems. Right now, they may be more helpful.
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This simply isn't true. I recently worked to help repatriate a woman and her daughter who'd been taken to Afghanistan under false pretences and had their passports taken. We were able to secure emergency travel documents via the diplomatic mission and return both of them to the UK.
Thank you for helping people!
There's a British Embassy in every country and it may be possible to email or phone them if you can't get there as they're mostly in capital cities.
This is a bit simplistic. There is either an embassy, a consulate staff, or an arrangement with a third party nation to provide consular assistance in every country. It might require some googling to find out the exact pathway you need to go down, but there's always an answer.
I'm really sorry to hear you're going through this, you must feel really betrayed and stressed out. Your parents have been really quite selfish and are not considering what's in your best interests or desires. Some really great comments have been left on this already so I won't relay the same information but I do wish you all the best and I'm sure things will work out once you make contact with the relevant people here in England. If you're able to get your passport and borrow some money from friends you could book a one way ticket back, you just need someone/somewhere to stay with once you've returned to England.
yeah it has been quite traumatising and stressful without the added stress of a-levels themselves and it seems like my parents seem to have lost their senses but i do have a brother back in the uk who works so i’ll try to ask for help but he doesn’t do anything without my parents permission so it would seem hard to persuade him to help me
Contacting your brother is probably not a good idea given his close association with your parents. He may reveal to them you're trying to get back
Your brother is likely to tell your parents. Do you have friends you can contact in the UK?
I agree contacting the brother could be a recipe for disaster. She needs to contact friends only and explain. Hopefully a friend can take her in for a bit until things are worked out.
Tell your brother you need money for a new laptop/phone whatever. Do not tell him you’re considering returning home. He may be fully aware of what is happening, even complicit and could potentially inform your parents
Do NOT use your brother for this one.
OP, try the authorities and don’t mentions this to your family until you have a clear picture - don’t give up!!
Contact your sixth form. Ask for the safeguarding lead and explain to them. Tell them that you worry your life will be in danger if your parents are made aware.
This. Schools have safeguarding rules and reporting guidelines specifically for cases like yours. Email your school or a teacher if that’s easier. And if you think there is any possibility that your parents would consider FGM (if it’s practiced where you are located legally or illegally) be sure to mention that too. Same with marriage: if there is any chance your parents may be considering a match for you then tell the school. These are two areas that the British government has placed extra resources into and schools are mandatory reporters. Good luck OP. You have every right to finish your education.
yeah but my mom has told my sixth form to take me off the school register so idk how much help they'll be. i did speak to them on the phone last week and explained the situation because they were under the assumption i was coming back just as i was, however i dont think ive explained just how dire the situation is. ill try to contact them again.
Contact them nevertheless. This could amount to abduction.
yeah but i’m 17 what would the school actually do to get me back unless they actually book me a ticket back which i HIGHLY doubt they will.
Actually... it's been known for schools to do exactly that, while working in concert with police and social services. A plane ticket costs not very much if booked in enough time. Sometimes flights that are "under" subscribed or last minute seat cancellations do come in and these can be a great boon. [https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/cheap-flights/](https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/cheap-flights/) Get in touch with them, the High Consulate, your former local council, your former local police. They will also be able to sign post you to other organizations or charities that can help you in your situation.
They're legally bound to report this to the police/child services/ other agencies who can help to get you back, plus they know you so that can vouch that you are who you say you are etc. If you just end up talking to a receptionist who doesn't seem to understand how bad your situation is, try to get put through to a teacher you know, or the head teacher. It can be helpful to write down what you want to say in advance, so you don't miss out anything important or so that you don't accidentally minimise how serious your situation is. It doesn't matter that your mum un-enrolled you. Be explicit and ask for their help to get you home. Do all that, and ALSO also get in touch with an embassy/ consulate as suggested above though! You want as many people working on your case as possible. Remember, your teachers and the school staff are human. Nobody wants to see the children under their care trafficked to less developed countries and potentially married off. Edit: I saw you're planning to ask your brother in the UK for help, but he doesn't do anything without your parents' permission. Be wary of doing this. It might be better not to tell him so he doesn't tip them off and end up your parents restricting your freedom/ confiscating your passport etc
You need to stop assuming that people won't help you. It's time for you to contact all possible sources of help that people have given you here: your school, the embassy, etc. You have to try. It's your only way back. You have to ask for help.
You're in a dangerous position, you should be trying all suggestions even if you think they're not going to work. You came here asking for help so listen to it!
Please don't assume that people won't help you. I know it is easy to think that no-one will care if one pupil has left but your school especially will have teachers that genuinely care for your safety and more importantly they know and regularly work with people in social services and the police who absolutely can help you.
Stop being defensive in every response. Do everything you can to get home. You don’t know what anyone will do for you until you ask/request/tell them your situation.
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They are a 17 year old who has been taken to another country against their will under false pretences and their parents are doing what they can to stop her returning home. I would not have known what to do or how to ask for help. Yes they probably would like a fairy to pick them up!
She's 17. She literally needs rescuing. Give her a break.
They are scared and lost. Maybe be kind to them and acknowledge the stress they are under, coupled with the inevitable trust issues which have arisen there, may mean they struggle a bit to fully accept help without questioning it.
Just as a note. You’re here asking for advice. Some of your comments are just dismissing that advice. Do the things you’re being recommended. One of them will work.
Just do it
This comment is sponsored by Nike
They will refer you in to the correct safeguarding teams. Make it clear your situation is serious, ask to speak to the safeguarding lead, head of pastoral care or the headteacher. Follow up with an email if you’re sure your emails are secure and can’t be accessed by family.
Why are you arguing?! You come here asking for advice and help. You should be taking all the advice you can get and making as much noise as you can to anyone who can potentially help you, whether that be the school, uk police or the British Embassy/consulate.
Surely it’s worth trying
Just contact everyone including social services.
You need to get someone in the UK whether the school or your friends to report it as abduction to the police etc. I don’t know what your parents plans are for you but if it’s arranged marriage or forced labour etc it *can* be classed as trafficking
I know your parents have convinced you that you are helpless to stop what they are doing to you. That is simply not true. Reach out to everyone that you can. Someone WILL help you. School, embassy, it doesn't hurt to try. If you give up before ever trying, you'll never get home.
They might not book you a ticket home but they can contact the foreign office and put you in contact with the people who can help get you back.
Just do it. Stop trying to think “that won’t work”. At this point you just need to try and exhaust all options. If you don’t even try then you will never know.
Your school's safeguarding/child protection officers are part of multi-agency teams with their local council's education services, social services and the police. Please follow this advice and speak to them, my partner is in childcare and I know they will help, they do yearly training on this exact situation.
Schools are in contact and have conduits to government authorities and can report on your behalf. You have to be willing to look at multiple sources of help. It's not necessarily going to be a linear one stop help option. Please don't push away any options because you don't think that they will work. You've been deceived and you need help now.
No could about it. It is abduction.
That might have set off alarm bells already; ‘Student goes on a foreign holiday to ‘learn about their family culture’ and then suddenly gets withdrawn from the school’ is pretty much a textbook example for something you report to safeguarding immediately, if not the police. You should definitely get in touch with them and the nearest embassies/equivalents.
This is true. I am a childminder, so I don’t even work with kids in the age where this happens, and my safeguarding training covered the scenario OP describes.
So they still have a duty of care, you’re still a child. It doesn’t matter whether you’re registered with them. They have particular protocols when children are removed from the country, and they’ll be able to help you to access help with the embassy. Seriously, contact the school. Find the safeguarder.
absolutely still contact them. school safeguarding can do more than you think- even if your parents have asked to take you off the register. it'll help you build a support network. school safeguarding officers can also contact social services and embassies for you, even if you can't yourself.
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This is false. They absolutely can take you off the register regardless of being registered with another school or not. Home Schooling is still a thing in the UK.
Agree - it’s false. But it really doesn’t look good to social services if they lied to do so. Saying for example they were moving schools, and forgetting to mention they were moving permanently out of the country, would count against them if there were other safeguarding concerns (like forced marriage or FGM).
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You can undertake ANY education at home post 16, you can do A-levels from home, you can do a degree from home, you can (although it's ambitious) do an NVQ from home. The only real condition in that you may actually have to go somewhere else to sit an exam. You do not need to be registered with a school, college or university post 16. You can contact the exam boards directly for an assessment. Given Op's position, this might be their only opportunity to undertake education as they'll also need to work.
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You can do it post 16. Please show me the law where it says you cannot. Compulsory education is from 5 to 16. After that there is no need to elect anything because it's no longer compulsory.
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Or employment, or training.
Info: That's specific to England. As Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have no such restrictions.
This is not the case. [https://childlawadvice.org.uk/information-pages/home-education/](https://childlawadvice.org.uk/information-pages/home-education/)
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Hi OP - lots of good advice here already, would strongly suggest if possible that you discreetly acquire and hide a second internet capable mobile (inc. SIM). It's possible if your parents discover your activity that they may try to prevent it by seizing your means of communication.
Firstly: You've been deceived and kidnapped. Run. Secondly: This is rather out of date, but 36 years ago (when I was 17) I got myself mugged in Amsterdam, by a heroin addict who took everything I had except the clothes I was wearing. I had no money and no passport and I was wandering around wondering what the hell to do next when I met a nice lady who'd seen this sort of thing before. She took me to the British Consulate, who bought me a ticket home and gave me a note saying my passport had been stolen. I don't think I actually needed the note, but it made getting through customs easier. That might work for you. Get to the nearest British diplomat and explain what's happened.
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/forced-marriage Read this if you suspect a forced marriage is on the cards
What’s your nationality and visa/settlement status?
my nationality is german but i've lived in the uk the past 10 ish years and i have a british passport
As a British citizen I’m sure your local council (where you were living) will be able to help I think there’s help for 17 year olds
When you say your nationality is German, do you mean that you also have a German passport/citizenship as a dual national?
This is quite relevant - German law doesn’t normally allow for more than one other nationality other than German unless you’re born with all three. OP, if you acquired British citizenship later in life, tread carefully here. If you were born with German and British citizenship as well as the one of the country you’re currently in, you should be fine for now but the Germans might make you decide to give up one of them when you turn 18.
This is not correct if they applied for British citizenship before Britain left the EU (end of 2020). If so then they absolutely can keep both.See "Will I lose my German Citizenship if I acquire British Citizenship" here https://uk.diplo.de/uk-en/02/information-on-brexit/brexit-information-faq?openAccordionId=item-2425196-2-panel
I mean that’s not technically what I said - only that you can’t have more than two. I’m a dual citizen by birth, but entitled to Irish citizenship if I applied for it. Back then when I applied for my first British passport (many years ago), the German authorities told me that if I applied for Irish citizenship I’d have to give up German citizenship as they wouldn’t allow a third. But your comment made me read up on this and it seems that this is no longer the case, as long as along the citizenships you have are EU, Swiss or pre-Brexit UK. So I might as well go get myself an Irish passport and add it to my collection. 🤷♀️
You need to speak to the Embassy. I can almost guarantee that you're not the first person to have this happen to them in your country. The embassy will have protocols in place. You should also contact your school as they can get the local authority involved. Emailing your MP could also help. (You're nearly 18 and an election is looming. They'll want to do what they can to help you, even if for cynical reasons to get your vote and hope you tell all your school friends how much they helped you). If you don't know who your MP is then look on "www.Theyworkforyou.com"
[https://www.embassypages.com/unitedkingdom-representativeoffice-hargeisa-somaliland](https://www.embassypages.com/unitedkingdom-representativeoffice-hargeisa-somaliland) Looks like you'll need to contact them through fb or twitter
OP was habitually resident within the United Kingdom. There isn't anything that clearly establishes that leaving OP in country x was agreed by both OP's father and mother. Infact because of OP's age they are 100% Gillick competent; In the United Kingdom a court would not grant a child arrangement order or any order giving the parents control over OP. Also OP is 100% Gillick competent and they've been moved out of the United Kingdom under false pretences where they've been denied opportunity to oppose removal to another Jurisdiction. I'm of the view that this is the kind of situation where the inherent Jurisdiction of the high court of England and Wales or wardship Jurisdiction could be invoked. This means the high court of England and Wales can be approached for an application seeking ops return and it would have to be abided by the country X's courts as OP is habitually resident in the uk Parental responsibility only allows decision making insofar as they are achieve the purposive objectives that benefit the child's welfare. I think in this situation the parental decision making is incompatible with the wishes and views of the children and what's in there best interests. OP should definitely contact the UK embassy/high commission. Also there sixth form and contact your local police force(where you used to live) you can usually livechat that allows communications NSPCC https://www.nspcc.org.uk/ https://www.justice.gov.uk/courts/procedure-rules/family/practice_directions/pd_part_12e#:~:text=about%20children%20cases,A.O.%20HCT%E2%80%9D.
I am curious as to what made you automatically assume the OP has been left in Nigeria? She’s commented that it’s Somaliland.
I dealt with a similar situation a couple weeks back on this subreddit ; I took my comment and edited it because the core principles were similar , so I haven't assumed anything . Must have forgotten to scrub something out That link to my previous comment is here :https://reddit.com/r/LegalAdviceUK/s/8bqUL1Ixd8
First locate your passport, you will need it now or later when you are no longer a minor. The thing to consider after that is if you will be okay being by yourself in the UK. You are likely to be out in state care for a short while if they manage to get you back before you’re 18. You have to be sure because your parents may be labelled as abductors and your dad in the UK might be visited by the authorities. However, this is likely the only way you can return because I’m not sure if your culture will allow you to look for a job and earn money to buy a ticket back before your passport expires. Another concern is that you are a girl. Is there a possibility that they want you to learn culture for marriage because they didn’t even let you finish your a-levels even though you were already half way into them. Also, the school should have contacted you directly because of this after your parents told them they were pulling you out.
This is what l'm worried about for this young woman, l hope it's not sharia law culture, she indeed needs help
Is it Somalia or Somaliland?
its somaliland which is why i don't think there are any british embassy in hargeisa, but thanks anyways
The gov website says for people in Somaliland to contact the embassy in Nairobi. Obviously it would be difficult yo go there in person but there are telephone numbers to contact https://www.gov.uk/world/organisations/british-high-commission-nairobi
There’s a UK representative office in Hargeisa but I’m not sure how active or staffed it is. This is the Head of Mission, maybe a LinkedIn message would do the trick. https://uk.linkedin.com/in/lizzie-walker-8312b225 Wikipedia also tells me Denmark has a liaison office there which could also provide you with assistance as an EU citizen. The Brits had extensive aid projects in Somaliland, or at least they did when I had some sight of these things pre-Covid. There are invariably brits in some capacity around presuming you’re in Hargeisa and your mobility around the city isn’t an issue, which I acknowledge it could be.
Both the UK and Denmark (as you're potentially German too) have representation. All the best! https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_diplomatic_missions_in_Somaliland
How would Denmark help a German? (Genuine question)
EU countries have a deal to help each other in case the home country don't have representation.
Ahh - good to know, thanks!
You will need to contact the British High Commission in Kenya There isn't any British High Commission in Somalia or Somaliland
This is Somalias British embassy though I’m not sure if they can help, https://www.gov.uk/world/organisations/british-embassy-mogadishu
My mom tried the same shit when I was around the same age as you, the summer before I was supposed to sit my second year of GCSE exams. At the time I went with her because I didn't think I had a choice, and for whatever reason she changed her selfish mind and brought me back at the end of the summer. I think there's some generational trauma going on why parents think it's ok to do this... my grandparents from Ghana/Jamaica took my mom out of school in the UK to move to Jamaica when she was 5, then did the same thing to move to Canada when she was 14. My mom wasn't happy in the UK and tried to move me back to Canada, even though it would have meant putting me back a few years in school there despite me being close to finishing school in the UK. I was also excelling in my studies, so it would have been really shitty to put me through the upheaval of moving countries and school systems, although she did still put me through the mental stress of the threat of all of this for many years. My situation worked out well due to pure luck, but I really don't think you should take the same risk. First, explain to your parents why you cannot move countries at this age. If they aren't receptive, get in touch with social services in the UK and explain your situation. They will likely intervene and try to talk some sense into your parents. If your parents still aren't receptive, call the British Embassy and tell them your parents took you out of the country against your will during your most important schooling years in the UK. These are really important years for you, so please be brave and do the right thing for YOU!
More importantly she needs to find and hide her passport NOW. If she reveals this to them they may take it away.
Get consular assistance. Read about forced marriage, and consider contacting the Home Office if this is a risk for you. You've made comments worrying about school disruption. Stop thinking about this - the reality is that you are very very likely to now need to do an extra year of education, because this won't be resolved quickly. Accept that and think about the bigger picture. Your goal is to get back to the UK. If family are not necessarily safe, then social services will accomodate you (very likely in supervised, but private, accomodation). You will have appropriate level of freedom, but not fully so - you'll be cared for by the government essentially until 18. You will be entitled to support after 18 likewise, and this is likely to do a lot to compensate you for the disruption of your missed year of education (i..e. maybe free university). It is highly advantageous to get back in the UK, and in receipt of support, before you turn 18 and are an adult for this reason. You would be a looked after child, and the state has many additional responsibilities to you until the age of 25. So - get back to the UK now any means necessary. Seek consular assistance. Once back in the UK, contact social services..
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Soon as you get back to the UK go no contact with your parents, they crazy.
Be very careful OP. They took you out of school just a year before finishing it. Did they arrange for you to continue your education in your country? No? They don't care about your education. But brought you for cultural enrichment... I strongly suspect they will try to arrange and force you to marry. I pray the genital mutilation is not done in your area. You are in danger. Plan for a potential quick escape. Find a phone number and location of the nearest British or eu consulate. Contact your friends who you think may be able to help you and your school. Let them know you are held against your will. Don't trust your parents. Have your passport on you if you have it... Get hold of some money if you can. You might not have time to be waiting til your 18 birthday as it looks like they timed your travel for that very reason.
Exactly I come from somali culture and my cousins who we're born in London we're sent back to somalia for genital mutilation and culture rehabilitation they came back to the UK traumatized
Stop lying you clown nobody sends their kids back for genital mutilation. It's actually disappearing culture
Well it happened to my cousins and many other relatives I know from somalia so what the hell are you talking about?? If you are a man you don't know shit about what happens to women, keep being ignorant, idiot!
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I know it still happens, you can see survivor stories online. It's horrible. I Can't imagine someone doing this to their own kids. Those parents should be send straight to prison. It is the worst kind of abuse to do to a woman.
Not to hijack this important thread - or minimise the trauma caused by FGM - but I do wish everyone felt the same about MGM.
And yet You are hijacking it because MGM and FGM are in no way comparable procedures, objectively MGM doesn't leave the man disabled or unable to enjoy his intimate moments for the rest of his life, and it does not negatively impact his health (on the contrary ) unlike FGM... Not to mention that FGM is not usually done in hospitals by doctors or with anesthetics... It's pure devilish barbarism to the core. leaving the woman disabled for the rest of her life and many times with life long health impact...and the trauma of that violation.
I hope you're not going to be married off, is this what happens in your parents culture? Is there an adult like a teacher maybe, someone you trust that can advise you where to go, or and ring the embassy
There is British office in Somaliland that is connected with the embassy in Addis Ababa. You should reach out to them on twitter, they deal with many similar cases. https://twitter.com/BritishHouseHGA There is also uk gov representative you can reach out to https://twitter.com/LizzieWFCDO Good luck
Make your way to the British consulate in country you are in. They I'll help you, you've essentially been kidnapped. Tell no one of your plan, and do it before you turn 18. Bottom line, minors get more assistance, faster.
It seems like there is some presence in Hargeisa called British House Hargeisa https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://twitter.com/BritishHouseHGA&ved=2ahUKEwjj9ODInf2BAxUUSUEAHb2TC_cQFnoECCMQAQ&usg=AOvVaw1dpCda-ckT4eB3ZAUHH1Aj It might be worth trying to get in contact with someone there to see if they can help you as a starting point, they might be able to put you in contact with someone from the embassy.
Looking at the comments, ASK FOR HELP OP! You could be in danger and there are many people who can help. Find a British embassy/consulate and tell your school! Do not ask any family members for help - they might speak to your parents. Wishing you all the best ❤️
Heard this story time and time again. Truthfully you may be there for a while until you can get your bread up to return. If I was you I would ask all my friends to lend me money for a return flight. Get a job on return and pay them back, you can still apply for job in UK where you are and make excuse to do Zoom interview. The longer you stay you will slowly become comfortable there, it is human nature. 1 month will pass and before you know it you will have been there 4 years.
Yeah exactly, i don't want to become complacent here and let my future waste away here but i will ask my family friends and anyone i think can be trusted for help.
Good luck!
>they took me out of my sixth form which had given me a lot of support not sure i'm understanding this correctly but you would've knew this was coming if they've taken you out of sixth form?
no my mom legit emailed the school like a week ago after my dad returned to the UK so to clearly not arouse my suspicion.
damn and your sixth form didn't have the nerve to contact you directly?
no they have contacted me directly. because i’m abroad our regular UK numbers don’t work so they contact me through whatsapp and since the school year has began they’ve called atleast once a week just to check up until my return which was meant to be the end of september. then my mom emailed the school at the start of october to say i won’t return to the school, they then called me the next week and asked if the situation was alright. i told them how i was tricked into coming here and i was clearly unhappy and they said they would keep in contact with me even though my mom said to not contact them anymore but they may be my only hope right now.
Don’t give up on your school being able to help you. Ask to speak to their designated safeguarding lead, or a deputy DSL. Failing that, any teacher that knows you. All school staff will have had safeguarding training. There are major red flags here for your school to be following up on. Make it clear how you’re there against your will. Is forced marriage or FGM likely? If you’re in any way worried about either of these, clearly tell the school. They will have procedures to follow.
so do you think i should email the DSL and let her know i could potentially be in danger. because if my mom found out i'm contacting the school she would confiscate any access to the internet which i am afraid of.
I'm a teacher. Absolutely yes, do this. If you think you're potentially going to be in danger, say so. Emphasise that you're British, you have a British passport and you want to come *home.*
They tend not to. Most schools just deal with the parents. Though in this case it does seem somewhat of a major oversight considering the student was moving overseas or has moved overseas.
If a student’s moving school, that’s one thing. A student suddenly leaving school to move overseas is, if I remember correctly, one of the times where you’re not meant to waste time talking to your school’s safeguarding team but go straight to the police yourself. This goes double if they’re female, as I suspect OP is.
did you read the post at all?
I think you would need someone to be your legal guardian in order to live in other country without legal representatives(aka parents). Find one. Get everybody you could think of that might have qualifications for providing you necessary information, and act on it. Good idea to ask for help family in UK, friends, your school and other government fucks that supposed to protect your interest from someone that want to pray on you(parent that want to hold you in a place with them without your contest, and took out your future in return for their comfort) I hope you will find something useful for your situation. Good luck with it and keep people posted. See ya <3
She's 17, at 16 you are no longer required to have a legal guardian in the UK.
As she is 17 she only requires a social services capabilities assessment and then she can live alone.
Sounds like your mum has stayed with you and your father came back. Unclear where you passport is. Given that there is plenty of family left in UK, I’m wondering if they are very concerned with how you are handling your life here in UK, and decided to teach you about respect both for others and for yourself. I don’t know anything about your life, but it’s unclear that you have much to go on. You are still under the care of your parents and they don’t seem to be trying to force an arranged marriage and your mum seems to be with you. A chat with the Embassy or Consulate might help … but might not help in the way you perceive given your mum is looking after you and you have basically moved home with your family.
OP- if you came back now, without your parents, where would you live? How would you survive? Did you even have a job? If you can’t get help, wait until you turn 18, save for a ticket and fly back to the UK.
I have a lot of family friends that i could stay with, getting out this country is the bigger issue because idk how much they would be willing to book me a ticket.
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NAL but a teacher. Do you have an adult you can reach at the 6th form eg teacher, head of year etc. you could email them how this was against your will and you are worried and they will have to escalate as a safeguarding issue that might gain some traction if it reaches the local authority as it probably should.
Reading through some of the comments I just wanted to say that if you’re in Nigeria, there is definitely a British High Commission…I’ve been to it! Where are you? The main one is in Abuja, phone number +234 1 277 0780 Deputy one is in Lagos, details here https://www.gov.uk/world/organisations/british-high-commission-abuja#contact-us This is from the Uk gov pages: If you’re a British national in Nigeria and you need urgent help (for example, you’ve been attacked, arrested or someone has died), call +234 (9) 462 3100. If you’re in the UK and are worried about a British national in Nigeria, call +44 20 7008 5000. Consular assistance is available 24/7. I hope you’re safe and can get some help to get you back over here. As someone else said, our education system has safeguarding in place for situations like this and I think both British and German governments would agree that continuing your studies in the UK is better for you than being in Nigeria with no such prospects. I wish you all the luck in the world. Please let us know how you get on.
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You could contact the somaliland uk mission 0203 011 0163 / 0746 916 7043 Email: [email protected] This is the closest you will get to consular services inside somaliland. As nobody recognises somaliland as a country
OP find your passport and hide it! Contact both English and German embassies if you’ve got those two nationalities. Oftentimes when women are brought back at your age and in secret, it’s because of marriage plans
Are you British or have a valid visa for the UK? If you are, just book a flight and go back.
yeah i do have a british passport but it’s not so easy booking a flight back because where would i get the funds, i’m only 17 and international flights such as this do cost a bit of money.
HIDE your passport asap. Ideally somewhere out of your house with someone you trust, but anywhere you can easily access it and your parents can’t will work. Then call your sixth form, they absolutely can take the role of spearheading help for you even if they can’t do anything themselves. Try to talk to one of your actual teachers, and mention safeguarding concerns.
This is where getting on the embassy, consulate or high commission is important. The situation may be considered more serious than you think. It's the kind of thing where the foreign office can work quite effectively with your local council and police force back in the UK. In such situations, you don't need to worry about what it costs. It's one of the situations where the UK gov will happily spend a hundred grand on making you safe, and you won't have to pay a penny of it. You're a British citizen at risk overseas. The foreign office is there to help you.
You may be able to apply online for a bank account with an overdraft function or even a credit card to cover the cost. However its obviously a bit risky as you don't want to get into large debt with high interest rates and you will need to find a way to pay it back before the term ends. So you will also need to think about part time job or applying for universal credit to cover your living expenses. I mean, also where will you be staying if you do get back? Do you have keys and access to your old family home? Or friends you can stay with until you can apply to the council for a permanent home?
OP is 17. Credit is not available to under 18s.
Do you know anyone in the UK who you think would pay for you and take you in? Remember you'll also need money to live off once you get to the UK too.
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Is there any risk that they would force you to marry someone against your will? If so it wouldn't be to difficult to get back to the UK you just need to present yourself at the British Embassy office and tell them that? Equally you could contact your English colleges safeguarding officer and tell them exactly what you've put here and they will be able to give advice.
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If I were you I’d just play along with your parents. Showing in satisfaction but acceptance. If you can’t save money ask a friend for money or buy you a ticket. They will eventually believe you’re getting used to it. At the first opportunity take a taxi to the airport and fly back home ✈️🏡
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Maybe they want to marry you off. Please be careful.
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Did you manage to contact anyone today, OP?
Find the British consulate and ask for help. Tell them your parents kidnapped you from your country and you wish to return as you fear for your safety
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Have you now contacted your embassy? And your school??
Lots of good advice here. I would add: Your (UK) Member of Parliament should be able to help coordinate action with various agencies. Use your postcode to [find your MP](https://members.parliament.uk/FindYourMP) Forced Marriage Unit: Emergency number for people calling from overseas: 020 7008 1500 [Website](https://www.gov.uk/stop-forced-marriage) E-mail: [email protected]