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International parental child abduction is a human rights issue and one that we take very seriously. We appreciate the distress that child abduction and the difficulties obtaining access can cause to both the child and the left-behind parent.< br />
The Child Abduction Section has five full-time members of staff who can offer consular assistance to British Nationals affected by child abduction. We can provide information on what parents should do if their child has been abducted or if they fear this may happen. We cannot, however, offer legal advice and if it is not possible to settle disputes about a child’s residence and contact (custody and access) with the other parent, these issues will have to be settled through the courts.
We deal with 4 broad categories of child abduction:
- Abduction: where a child has been taken overseas without the other parent’s consent. This is a criminal offence under UK law.
- Wrongful retention: where a child has been retained in a foreign country following an overseas trip.
- Threat of abduction: where there is a risk that a child will be abducted overseas.
- International disputes: where one parent is trying to exercise rights of residence or access in a foreign country.
If your child has been abducted or you fear that an attempt may be made to abduct your child, you can contact the Child Abduction Section on 0207 008 0878. The Child Abduction Section is open Monday-Friday 9am-5pm. In an emergency outside these hours you may contact the FCO Response Centre on 0207 008 1500.
How we deal with your case will depend very much on whether your child has been taken to a country that has or has not signed the 1980 Hague Convention on International Child Abduction.
Has your child been taken to a Hague Convention country?
The Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction (1980) is an international agreement which seeks to return abducted children to the country where they normally live so that the courts there can decide on issues of custody and access.
The Central Authorities in the UK are responsible for all cases that come under the Convention. If your child has been abducted to a country which has joined the Convention [link to table of Hague Convention countries at bottom of page], you can contact the appropriate UK Central Authority [click for link to contacts on page 4].
We do not become involved in Hague Convention cases, unless requested to do so by the Central Authority.
Are you concerned that your child is at risk of being abducted?
We can give advice on practical steps that can be taken to prevent any possible abduction.
Has your child been taken to a non-Hague Convention country?
Finding a solution can be particularly difficult when the child is in a country that has not signed any international agreements on child abduction. This process will not be easy but we will try to offer practical advice.
If your child has been taken to Pakistan, you can find more information on the UK-Pakistan Judicial Protocol on Children Matters by clicking here. [link to separate pages on Pakistan here on page 5].
This information is also available in our leaflet:
If you would like to order hard copies of this leaflet, you can do so by:
- In the UK, emailing the following address:
FCOleaflets@accelerated-mail.co.uk
- Overseas, contacting the British Embassy, High Commission or Consulate of the country that you are in.
Dual Nationality
Dual nationality means holding the nationality of more than one country. A child may be a dual national if they were born or lived overseas, or if one of his or her parents holds the nationality of another country. If you child has been taken to the country of their second nationality, the authorities there may view your child as a national of that country. This may limit what we can do to assist.
Abductions into the UK
We do not deal with abductions into the UK:
If your child has been abducted to the UK from a Hague Convention country, you should contact the Central Authority in your country of habitual residence (where you usually live) to make a Hague Convention application. You can also contact the relevant UK Central Authority for further advice [link to contacts].
If your child has been abducted to the UK from a non-Hague Convention country, you should contact your relevant Embassy/High Commission in London [link to Foreign Embassies page] to request consular assistance. You may also wish to contact Reunite for further practical advice www.reunite.org. Reunite’s advice line number is 0116 2556 234.
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What we can do to help
- Provide you with a list of overseas lawyers who speak English.
- If you do not know where your child is, we can contact the relevant authorities overseas to check what progress has been made in finding him/her
- Once the child is located, and with the other parent’s consent, carry out a welfare check
- Offer travel information and help with finding safe accommodation locally
- Help you contact the relevant local authorities and organisations when you are overseas
- Where appropriate, contact the courts overseas to express our interest in a case and ask about progress
- In exceptional circumstances only, attend court hearings overseas
- Provide information about translation services
- Where appropriate, issue travel documents
What we cannot do
- “rescue” a child or get involved in any illegal attempts to bring a child back to the UK
- Locate your child if you do not know where he/she is
- Offer legal advice or interfere in the legal system of another country
- Pay your bills, including legal, translations, travel or accommodation
Other organisations that can help:
Reunite
We work closely with Reunite, a leading UK charity on international parental child abduction. Reunite can provide advice and support to parents and other relatives who may have had a child abducted or fear an abduction. Reunite can send you a prevention pack, which gives more information about how you can prevent abduction. They can also send you a list of family lawyers in the UK, who specialise in child abduction cases.
Reunite’s helpline no is: 0116 2566 234, or you can access their website: www.reunite.org
International Social Services
ISS are a charity, who work closely with Social Services in the UK and have a number of offices overseas. ISS also organise an annual trip to Libya for left-behind parents (funded by the FCO).
ISS UK's phone number is: 020 7735 8941, or you can access their website: www.issuk.org.uk
UK Identity and Passport Service
If you wish to make any enquiries relating to British Passports, you can call the IPS advice line on: 08705 210 410, or you can access their website: www.ukpa.gov.uk
You may also find useful information on the following websites
Central Authority for England and Wales
The International Child Abduction and Contact Unit
Office of the Official Solicitor and Public Trustee
81 Chancery Lane
London WC2A 1DD
Tel: 0207 911 7045/47
Fax: 0207 911 7248
E-mail:
enquiries@offsol.gsi.gov.uk
Website: www.offsol.demon.co.uk (follow prompt to International Functions)
The International Child Abduction and Contact Unit is open Monday-Friday 9am-5pm. In an emergency outside these hours you may contact the Royal Courts of Justice on 0207 947 6000.
Central Authority for Scotland
Scottish Executive Justice Department
Private International Law Branch
St Andrews House
Edinburgh
EH1 3DG
Tel: 0131 244 4827
Fax: 0131 244 4848
Website: www.scotland.gov.uk/childabduction
Central Authority for Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland Court Service
Civil and Family Branch
Windsor House
9-15 Bedford Street
Belfast BT2 7LT
Tel: 02890 328 594
Fax: 02890 314 854
Website:www.nics.gov.uk
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