Cases of international child abduction by parents in the UK have more than doubled in a decade, with 477 recorded incidents in 2014 compared to 226 in 2005, according to Freedom of Information data. The charity Reunite International believes the true figure is higher, receiving 17,000 calls to its helpline in 2014.
One mother, identified as Ami, took her three-year-old son Anish to India without her ex-husband's consent. She admits she knew she was breaking the law but felt she had no other option after her marriage broke down. Ami says her husband became controlling and isolated her from her family, and she feared he would take their child away. She now lives with her parents in Bangalore and is seeking custody through Indian courts, while a UK court has ordered her to return.
The rise in abductions is attributed to more relationship breakdowns, easier travel, and an increase in cross-border relationships. Particularly problematic are cases involving countries not signed up to the Hague Convention on child return, such as Pakistan, India, Somalia, Nigeria, and Egypt, where UK authorities have limited power.
Safraz Khan's daughter Aamina was taken by her mother to Pakistan four years ago. Despite five trips and a court order, he has not found her. He keeps her bedroom as a shrine, with her school uniform and teddies still in place, hoping for her return. He describes feeling helpless, as courts and police expect him to locate the child himself.
Experts warn that in such cases, blame is often unclear, but children suffer the most. The emotional cost for all involved is immense, with parents left in legal limbo and children caught between two homes.
