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May 29, 2007

UK: Taxes Fund Muslim Polygamy

On April 18, the Daily Mail revealed that even though polygamy is illegal in Britain, guidelines from the Department of Work and Pensions approved the funding of such illegal unions. DWP guidelines on council and housing benefits state: "If you were legally married to more than one partner under the laws of a country that permits this, then your relationship is called a polygamous marriage. In this case your household consists of you and any partners who live with you and to whom you are married."

When the Daily Mail made the report, it stated that DWP officials were reviewing whether the state should "continue to pay out income support, jobseeker's allowance and housing and council tax benefits to 'extra' spouses."

Yesterday, the Times reported that the UK government has finally admitted for the first time that almost 1,000 men are currently living in polygamous unions in Britain. Apparently, the government has been assailed for years to provide figures, but has only now responded as a request from the Times was answered under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act.

The DWP stated: "It is estimated that there are fewer than 1,000 valid polygamous marriages in the UK, few of whom are claiming a state benefit. Because of the small numbers concerned, our IT systems do not specifically record such information."

Muslim wives who were married in countries where such unions are legal can enter Britain as students or tourists. A Home Office rule book on immigration states: "Entry clearance may not be withheld from a second wife where the husband has divorced his previous wife and the divorce is thought to be one of convenience. This is so, even if the husband is still living with the previous wife and to issue the entry clearance would lead to the formation of a polygamous household."

A statement released under the terms of the Freedom of Information act asserted: "A polygamous marriage is the only circumstance in which an adult dependency increase is payable in income-related benefits. In any other circumstances an adult 'dependent' would have to make a separate claim."

Conservative MP Humphrey Malins, founder of the Immigration Advisory Service, requested from the government three years ago information on how many unregistered polygamous marriages took place in Britain. He never got an answer. Now, the officials admit that they do not know the number.

He said: "I've not been able to find out from the Government what the extent of the problem is. It's a very serious issue." Malins demanded that action was taken to prevent women being encouraged to enter into unrecognized "marriages". He said: "The Government has no grip on the situation. This is quite clearly exploitation of women."

Housing benefit can be claimed for polygamous wives (where the marriage took place in a country where such cases are legal) even when she is abroad, for up to a whole year, as long as the departure from Britain is judged to be temporary and for necessary reasons.

It is now official - Britain makes bigamy illegal, but supports Muslim polygamy.

Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at May 29, 2007 4:23 PM

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Posted by: Celsius at May 29, 2007 6:14 PM

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