UK say na criminal offence to keep children abroad without 'appropriate consent'

Di UK Ministry of Justice don begin one law wey go criminalise anybodi to send pikin outside di United Kingdom and keep dem dia without 'appropriate consent'.

UK say e don become offence for anyone to detain children abroad pass dia 'initial lawful departure'.

Dis law go take effect on November 6 2026, as part of section 137 of di Crime and Policing Act 2026

"Na offence for pesin wey dey connected wit a child under di age of 16 to detain dat child outside di United Kingdom (UK) without di appropriate consent, wia di child dey originally taken or sent abroad wit such consent," di law tok.

Di UK say dem take dis decision to close di gap wey relate to di detention of children abroad witout proper consent, even though di child departure dey lawful.

Why di UK introduce dis child law

Di UK say part of why dis child detention law dey important na becos say "strong public interest dey to ensure say children no dey removed from, or detained outside, di UK without appropriate consent."

Dem say di aim na to make sure say no child dey abducted and to safeguard children wey get parental responsibility and 'uphold custody rights.'

Dis also mean say parents and anyone wey dey connected to a child no fit send any pikin wey dey 'under 16 out of di UK witout consent from specified pesin, or di court.'

Di new law go protect children wey dem dey send abroad to return witout delay or detaining dem pass di normal consent wey dem or dose wey get parental responsibility give.

"Di new offence dey diafor intended to ensure say di law apply consistently both wia a child dey unlawfully taken abroad and wia a child dey unlawfully detained abroad following initial lawful departure."

"E aim to provide additional safeguard against parental child abduction and strengthen di legal framework for responding to di most serious cases of international parental child abduction."

Dis also mean say one parent no fit take or send a child abroad witout di consent of di oda. And dem no fit detain such child abroad witout consent of di oda parent.

Dis law no go now amend to cover situations wia a pesin wey dey connected wit child lawfully take or send di child abroad but subsequently retain or detain di child

outside di UK witout di necessary consent.

"Di Govment consider say di new offence go close longstanding gap of di law by

ensuring say both di wrongful removal of child from the UK and di wrongful detention of a child abroad following initially lawful departure, fit attract criminal liability wia appropriate.

"At di same time, di Govment recognise di complexities wey fit arise in case wey involve domestic abuse and dey clear say di new offence no dey intended to cut

across civil measures."

Meanwhile, last yea, one teenager wey im parent trick into going to boarding school for Africa win appeal against im own parents.

Di 14-year-old boy, wey we no fit identify, comot from London to Ghana for March 2024 afta dem tell am say im relative dey ill.

In fact, im parents want to get am out of London as dem fear say e dey go towards criminal activity.

Di boy dey unhappy and homesick for Ghana, na so di boy find lawyers and bring case against im parents to di High Court in London.

Di court bin rule against am for February 2025, but e later win Court of Appeal bid, so dem rehear di case.

Di boy describe im Ghana experience as "hell', afta di parent fail to return am back to London.

Dis na like di similar case of wetin di UK child law go address.