Polygamy is illegal in the United Kingdom under Section 57 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861.

But the UK recognizes polygamy if the marriages were in countries where they are legal, i.e., Islamic countries. That means the UK recognizes the polygamous marriages of Muslim immigrants.

And so in 2008, the Blair government gave the go-ahead for husbands with multiple wives to claim extra welfare benefits, so long as the weddings had taken place in countries where polygamy is legal. MORE