Forced Marriage Unit helps abandoned wives

LONDON: When Sukhi picked Harinder (names changed on request) for marriage, she thought her dream had come true and she would live like a princess in London. Instead, the pretty 20-year-old girl from a village on the outskirts of Jalandhar in Punjab, found herself alone, penniless, abandoned by her husband and in-laws and facing deportation.

Six months ago, Sukhi and his family went to India from Southall to find a bride for the 30-year-old who runs a bakery. Sukhi, being a handsome man and more importantly a British national had his pick of the girls of the village and his mother and he chose Harinder for her modesty and simplicity.

After a whirlwind wedding, Harinder accompanied her new husband and his family back to London. That was when the nightmare began.

Sukhi would be out all day and only return late at night, drunk, demand his conjugal rights and fall asleep. Harinder spent the day cooking and cleaning, and was not allowed to go out or even talk to anyone. She was not allowed to take phone calls. Her mother-in-law  would lock her in the house when she went to work.

After three months of married life, Harinder’s in-laws told her they were sending her back to Punjab to see her family. Harinder happily got on the flight. Harinder’s parents were shocked when their daughter related her woes to them, but told her to be strong, as she was married she must now suffer her lot. After three months of staying with her parents, Harinder was put on a flight to London to return to her husband.

On arrival at Heathrow, Harinder found that no one had come to collect her. One of the Punjabi cleaners who worked at Heathrow took pity on Harinder when she found her crying and abandoned and took her home for the night. In the morning, Harinder was taken to the local temple where they managed to find the correct address for her in-laws. Harinder was then accompanied to her in-laws.

“They first pretended they didn’t know who I was, but when I showed them my wedding picture they then started shouting at me and asking me what I was doing coming back,” said a desolate Harinder. They manhandled and verbally abused her and finally threw her out of the house.  Harinder has now sought shelter at an Asian Women’s refuge but faces deportation.

“This is not unusual at all. Many of the women who come to us have similar stories,” said Shaminder Ubhi, director of the Ashiana Project in London. “They have nowhere to go. They can’t go back because their parents don’t want them saying it would bring shame on the family if they returned home. They have no rights in this country. No access to public funds. Social services have no responsibility towards them and the home office will simply say as there is no spousal visa application for them so they have no option but to deport them,” Ubhi told DNA.

The British government has dealt with the issue of forced marriage abroad of British nationals by starting up a Forced Marriages Unit, but young Indian girls who are brought here and then abandoned do not fall under their purview.

The Forced Marriage Unit sees around 250 cases a year. “As well as providing guidance, if we know in advance that someone is about to be forced into marriage, we can work with partner organisations to find an appropriate way to support the victim. If the victim goes overseas, our consular staff will work with the local police to do what they can to help the victim. In extreme cases this can mean helping to bring them back to the UK if this is what the victim wants,” said a member of the unit.

The Forced Marriage Unit is a single point of confidential advice and assistance for those at risk of being forced into marriage overseas. A helpline has been set up for women to call if they feel they are at risk of being forced into marriage or for relatives or friends to call in case they feel someone has been abducted or gone missing.