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The author compares forced marriages in the three European states (France, Germany and the United Kingdom). She considers more specifically the civil and criminal legislation potentially applicable to such unions and explores policy initiatives to prevent and fight back against the phenomenon. The difficulty of defining precisely what is meant by a “forced marriage ” is also emphasised, with the need to decipher the dynamics behind such marriages and the issues involved, special attention being devoted to the concept of exchange of consent and shared determination in union.