Rhetorics of Risk:

1
Rhetorics of Risk

• British Pakistanis and marriage migration to
  Britain

Dr Katharine Charsley
2
British Regulations

• The couple
• must have met
• Intend to live together permanently as spouses
• Own or occupy adequate accommodation without
  recourse to public funds
• be able to maintain themselves and any dependants
  without recourse to public funds
• Both be over 21
• The spouse of the applicant must
• Be present and settled, or have right to remain
  in UK (or be applying at the same time, married
  and cohabiting for at least 4 years)
• Not have (or have had) another living spouse in
  the UK
• For settlement
• 2 year probationary period
• Applicant must have sufficient knowledge of the
  English language and sufficient knowledge about
  life in the UK

3
New Proposals 2008 (Britain)

• Minimum age increased
• Pre-application language requirements
• Register intention to marry before travel (
  interview)
• Residence revoked if abandon spouse or evidence
  marriage was for migration only
• 2009 proposal - Probationary citizenship phase (3
  extra years for permanent residence, 1 for
  citizenship)

4
Risk in Pakistani transnational marriage

• Non-migrant wives
• Forced marriage
• Bogus marriage for immigration purposes
• Migrant husbands
• Often portrayed as villain
• Challenges to hegemonic masculine aspirations
• Migrant wives
• Vulnerable, isolated
• Non-migrant husbands
• Least vulnerable?
• Divorce

5
Popularity of transnational marriage

• Strategic explanations
• Immigration
• Assets
• Obligations to kin
• Emotional matters
• Maintain connections with kin
• Safe/best match for children

6
Transnationalism

• Transnational Social field
• Networks and communication
• Transnational field of possible matches
• Gendered imaginations of place
• Pakistan as more traditional/religious
• Britain as morally dubious
• Differences in status
• British citizenship, apparent wealth
• Education and class in Pakistan
• Distance remains important
• Cousins, but not too close to marry

7
Managing Risks

• Kin marriage as risk reduction
• Knowledge
• Similarity
• Trust
• Family support / deter divorce
• N.b. cousins mix, so may be young persons
  preferrence not necessarily sign of forced
  marriage

8
Risk immigration regulation

• Managing risks of immigration restrictions
• Visa refused/ not eligible to apply
• Denmark move to Sweden
• Delay consumating marriage
• Under 21s may live apart or in Pakistan
• New elements of coercion
• Age young people trapped in Pakistan?
• Register intention consent without opportunity
  to get to know spouse?

9

• Newly-wed couple faces 18-month separation under
  Forced Marriage Act
• The Guardian, July 24 2009

10
Grants of UK Settlement to Spouses 2008
11
Selective focus in marriage migration research

• Regional
• Europe South Asian, Muslim
• Globally Asia
• Gender
• Women
• 39 marriage migrants to UK are men
• Husbands form the majority from some countries
• Belated interest in masculinity and migration

12
Looking forward

• Marriage likely to remain important source of
  migration to Britain (and Europe)
• Restriction on other forms of migration
• Human rights EU constraints on national
  regulation
• Less affected by economic fluctuations?
• Diversification of migration
• Transnational logics
• Focus on minority problems creates moral argument
  for restrictions on marriage migration
• Need for broader research agenda on marriage
  migration to Europe