- Honour killings among Muslim immigrants, which are motivated by the belief that family reputation takes precedence over individual rights, have long been a source of worry in the United Kingdom.
- In 2022, families of Pakistani origin accounted for 49% of all forced marriage instances in the UK, with the majority of victims being young women.
- According to the 2021 UK Census, 48% of Pakistani households were in poverty, with 58% of Pakistani children living in poverty, while nearly 50% of Pakistani women were economically inactive in 2022.
- When traditions imported from other countries violate human dignity, gender equality, and individual liberty, they put the host society’s values to the test.
The United Kingdom, like much of Western Europe, is at a crossroads, balancing the economic imperative of immigration against the cultural issues posed by certain traditional traditions acquired through expatriate populations. While immigration from South Asia and Africa has improved the UK’s economic and social landscape, persistent practices such as honour killings, forced marriages, and consanguineous unions (cousin marriages) have sparked heated debates about the limits of multiculturalism, national identity, and human rights.
Among these diaspora groups, the British Pakistani community, which numbers almost a million, is a prominent and important force.[1] Their tale is one of dualities: they are hailed for their contributions to British politics, healthcare, and business, but they are also criticised for maintaining habits that appear to be incompatible with British principles of individual autonomy and gender equality. This conflict, however, is not limited to Pakistan. Rather, it reflects broader tendencies observed among immigrants from diverse developing countries where traditional family structures, honour codes, and marital rituals continue despite legal prohibitions in the host country.
A Legacy of Migration, A Challenge of Integration
Pakistani migration to Britain dates back to the post-colonial surge of the 1950s and 1960s, which was fueled by labour shortages in British industry and long-standing relations between the two countries. Today, the UK and Pakistan have over £1 billion in annual bilateral trade, with over 1.4 million journeys made between them each year. Pakistanis have succeeded in professions like medicine, law, sports, and academia, as noted by former Foreign Secretary William Hague in his 2011 Jinnah Awards speech. However, as the UK’s immigration profile has evolved, particularly with a post-Brexit trend toward non-EU countries, so have the integration issues.
According to the European Commission, more than 4 million net migrants entered the EU in 2023, with a large proportion coming from Muslim-majority countries such as Pakistan.[2] The IMF believes that such migration might enhance EU output by 0.5% by 2030, a fact that is also pertinent to the UK’s economic trajectory.[3] Yet, cultural behaviours brought from home countries have not always easily conformed to British customs. Certain archaic rituals remain, particularly within close-knit South Asian and Middle Eastern communities, sparking heated arguments.
While immigration from South Asia and Africa has improved the UK's economic and social landscape, persistent practices such as honour killings, forced marriages, and consanguineous unions (cousin marriages) have sparked heated debates about the limits of multiculturalism, national identity, and human rights.
The Cultural Undercurrent: Archaic Practices in a Modern State
Three practices, honour killings, forced marriages, and consanguineous unions, have sparked outrage in both media and policy circles.
Honour killings, which are motivated by the belief that family reputation takes precedence over individual rights, have long been a source of worry in the United Kingdom.[4] In Britain, approximately 10 to 12 women are killed each year as a result of suspected honour-based violence, primarily in South Asian and Middle Eastern populations. The horrific case of Shafilea Ahmed, who was murdered by her parents in 2003 for embracing Western ideas, remains iconic.[5] Another example is Samia Shahid, a British national murdered in Pakistan in 2016 by family members under identical circumstances.[6]
Equally distressing is the incidence of forced marriages, which are frequently camouflaged by the veil of tradition. In 2022, families of Pakistani origin accounted for 49% of all forced marriage instances in the UK, with the majority of victims being young women.[7] The Forced Marriage Unit, which was founded to address this issue, revealed that over 85% of cases are based in the United Kingdom, shattering the misconception that such practices are simply a problem “over there.”
Consanguineous marriage, particularly first-cousin partnerships, is one of the most pervasive and under-discussed cultural customs in various diaspora communities in the UK, notably Pakistani, Bangladeshi, and some Middle Eastern populations. While such weddings are allowed under British law, medical professionals, geneticists, and public policy experts are growing concerned about their public health effects. In many traditional societies, cousin marriage is seen as a way to preserve family lineage, protect property, and reinforce clan-based loyalties. In parts of Pakistan, for instance, such marriages are customary and often preferred. This cultural norm has travelled with migrant communities to the UK, where its persistence has created a unique set of health and social policy challenges.
Research from the University of Bradford and the Born in Bradford cohort study has shown that while the rate of consanguineous marriage among British Pakistanis in the city has declined from an estimated 60% in the early 2000s to around 46% by 2023,[8] the effects remain deeply consequential. [9] According to the same study, children born to closely related parents have a 4% risk of getting autosomal recessive disorders, compared to 0.1% for offspring of unrelated European parents. These illnesses include severe developmental delays, unusual metabolic problems, and congenital abnormalities, which may necessitate long-term, specialised medical care.
The Economic Equation: Contribution vs. Cost
Despite these cultural obstacles, diaspora communities from Pakistan and other similar nations make a significant economic contribution. With approximately 10,000 Pakistani students enrolled in UK institutions and continued growth in commerce, investment, and remittances, the bilateral relationship is mutually beneficial. However, economic inequality in the town is glaring. According to the 2021 UK Census, 48% of Pakistani households were in poverty after housing costs, with 58% of Pakistani children living in poverty. Furthermore, 48% of Pakistani women were economically inactive in 2022, which is double the rate of White British women.[10]
Many experts attribute this gap to conventional conventions that enforce limiting gender roles, illustrating how cultural practices can have an indirect impact on labour market productivity. The public sector also bears the costs, with taxpayer-funded legal services, health care, and social programs frequently required to manage the consequences of forced marriages, honour violence, and genetic health concerns.
Research from the University of Bradford and the Born in Bradford cohort study has shown that while the rate of consanguineous marriage among British Pakistanis in the city has declined from an estimated 60% in the early 2000s to around 46% by 2023, the effects remain deeply consequential.
Multiculturalism or Cultural Exceptionalism?
This combination of economic contribution and cultural tension has reignited arguments about multiculturalism in the UK. Advocates argue for tolerance and the value of pluralism in a post-imperial Britain. However, critics argue that such cultural practices should not be justified under the guise of variety if they violate fundamental human rights. The government has taken an increasingly active stance, criminalising forced marriage, enforcing laws against honour violence, and supporting educational projects to promote gender equality.[11] The objective is that change will arise from inside communities, rather than through top-down legal intrusions.
The UK has closely monitored Pakistan’s 2016 enactment of a law that abolished the “forgiveness loophole” in honour killings, which has ramifications for international cultural norms. Such achievements indicate that change is feasible, but only via continued institutional pressure and grassroots support.[12]
Conclusion
Votaries of immigration argue that immigrants from Pakistan and other poor countries have strengthened the UK’s diversity and economic foundation. However, when imported traditions violate human dignity, gender equality, and individual liberty, they put the host society’s values to the test. The challenge before Britain and, indeed, all liberal democracies facing similar dynamics is to maintain cultural openness without compromising on fundamental rights. This requires calibrated policies that support integration while challenging harmful practices, a judicial system that protects vulnerable individuals, and civil society initiatives that foster intra-community reform.
In the end, Britain’s success as a multicultural democracy will depend not just on how well it embraces diversity, but on how confidently it affirms the values upon which it was built.
References:
- [1] The UK and Pakistan – Our rich cultural tapestry
- [2] Statistics on migration to Europe
- [3] Migration into the EU: Stocktaking of Recent Developments and Macroeconomic Implications
- [4] ‘Honour-based’ abuse in England increases 60% in two years
- [5] Shafilea Ahmed’s tragic history of violence
- [6] Samia Shahid ‘honour killing’: Raped before death
- [7] Forced Marriage Unit statistics 2023
- [8] Differences in socioeconomic position, lifestyle and health-related pregnancy characteristics between Pakistani and White British women in the Born in Bradford prospective cohort study
- [9] ‘Pakistanis marry 1st cousins, give birth to retarded kids’: Social media reacts to Brit man’s viral post
- [10] Economic inactivity
- [11] Country policy and information note: women fearing gender-based violence
- [12] ‘Honour killings’: Pakistan closes loophole allowing killers to go free
Pranav S is a Project Assistant at the Energy Department, Government of Karnataka with an MA in Public Policy. Views expressed are the author’s own.
Aayush Pal 
Megna Devkar 
Nishant Kumar Hota