UK makes keeping children abroad without consent criminal offence

The United Kingdom has introduced a new law making it a criminal offence for parents or other people connected to a child under 16 to keep the child outside the country beyond an agreed period without proper consent. Anyone found guilty of the offence could face up to seven years in prison. The new law took effect on Friday, November 6, under Section 137 of the Crime and Policing Act 2026. It amends the Child Abduction Act of 1984 to close a gap in existing laws on child abduction. A circular released on Friday by the Ministry of Justice's Criminal Law Policy Unit explained that the amendment was introduced to address cases where children were initially taken abroad with permission but la...