JAVIER ZARZALEJOS PARTICIPATES IN THE WORKING BREAKFAST ON FORCED MARRIAGES ORGANIZED BY THE BELGIAN MEP ASSITA KANKO

The president of the LIBE Committee of the European Parliament, Javier Zarzalejos, participated last March 11 in the working breakfast organized by the MEP Assita Kanko to discuss the fight against forced marriages and marital captivity in Europe. The meeting was also attended by the Commissioner for Justice, Michael McGrath, as well as experts and survivors who shared their testimonies.

In his speech, Zarzalejos stressed that forced marriages are a form of modern slavery, which deprives the victims -mostly women- of their freedom and dignity. He recalled that the European Parliament has recently strengthened anti-trafficking legislation with the revision of Directive 2011/36/EU, which now criminalizes forced marriage and establishes penalties of up to ten years’ imprisonment for perpetrators.

“It is essential to ensure the full implementation of this regulation, eliminating loopholes and ensuring that no woman in Europe is trapped in a dead-end marriage,” said Zarzalejos. He also stressed the importance of cross-border cooperation, the recognition of divorces in third countries and the strengthening of asylum policies to protect victims.