Parents who fly their children overseas for "forced" marriages could be jailed under new laws being proposed.

Ministers believe the possibility of prison would deter parents from threatening children, usually girls as young as 12, into living with relatives in Pakistan and preparing to wed.

The Government has unveiled plans to raise the minimum age that a foreigner can enter the UK as a spouse, from 16 to 18.

The moves are designed to end the abuse of young girls being flown to the Asian sub-continent and forced to become brides so their husbands can gain a British passport.

It is a victory for Keighley MP Ann Cryer, who has been urging the Government to bring in new laws making it a crime to aid and abet or coerce a forced marriage.

The back-bencher acted because of the increasing number of teenage girls who came to her seeking help facing the prospect of a forced marriage.

She said: "A new law may not stop the problem but it is worth trying.

"This is not racist, it is not Islamophobic, it is not targeting any group: I just want the practice to stop."

Home Secretary David Blunkett said: "Forced marriage is simply an abuse of human rights. It is a form of domestic violence that dehumanises people by denying them their right to choose how to live their lives."

Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said: "We hope these new measures will drive forward increasingly effective co-operation between all those groups who are determined to tackle the abuse, both in the UK and overseas."

The Home and Foreign offices will establish a joint forced marriage unit to further combat the problem.

The team, which expands on work begun by the Foreign Office in 2000, will focus on preventative action, with professionals likely to identify a victim, such as teachers, police officers or social workers.

It also wants to work closely with community organisations, particularly women's groups.

Proposals for a new offence will begin with a consultation later this year. At present, those guilty of forcing someone into marriage can be prosecuted for kidnap, false imprisonment or rape.

The Government has dealt with almost 1,000 cases of suspected forced marriages since 2000, mainly involving links to south Asian countries.

Mrs Cryer said only a minority of families clung to the custom of forcing daughters to marry a man -- usually a first cousin -- selected by parents and grandparents.

Unwilling girls might be subjected to threats, ranging from physical violence and being locked up, to subtle emotional blackmail, she said.