Transnational Pakistani Connections

Since restrictions on Commonwealth labour immigration to Britain in the 1960s marriage has been the dominant form of migration between Pakistan and the UK. Most transnational Pakistani marriages are between cousins or other more distant relatives lending a particular texture to this transnational social field. Based on research in Britain and Pakistan this book provides a rounded portrayal incorporating the emotional motivations for and content of these transnational unions. the book explores the experiences of families and individuals involved including the neglected experiences of migrant husbands and charts the management of the risks of contracting transnational marriages as well as examining the consequences in cases when marriages run into conflict. Equally however the book explores the attractions of marrying ‘back home’ and the role of transnational marriage in maintaining bonds between people and places. Marriage emerges as a crucial but dynamic and contested element of Pakistani transnational connections.