Serious problems may occur when parental child abduction extends to international locations. In this case, foreign child custody may not be accepted since laws in different countries vary.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is a British governmental department that promotes the interests of the United Kingdom internationally. The FCO deals with three types of child abduction: abduction, wrongful intention, and the threat of abduction. Abduction is where a child is taken overseas without the other parent’s consent, which may be considered a criminal offence under UK laws. In wrongful intention, a child is detained in another country after a trip, and in threat of abduction, there is a danger that a child can be taken abroad.
If overseas parental abduction happens, you need to contact the police. The FCO’s Child Abduction Section provides assistance to Britons affected by overseas parental child abduction. They will give you listings of English-speaking interpreters and lawyers to provide you with accommodation and information. If a child has been taken to a country where he holds dual citizenship, local authorities will consider him a resident and will limit the FCO’s authority.
The Hague Convention on Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction is a worldwide agreement that aims to return abducted children to their homeland and lets the local court decide on custody access and issues. If your child is abducted to a country that has signed the convention, contact the designated Central Authority because they are responsible for these cases. The Hague Convention is led by the Ministry of Justice, and the CFO does not intervene unless the Central Authority requests that it do so. For countries that are not members of the convention, the FCO will still provide legal advice.
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