Forced to marry

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Forced to Marry

Monday August 10, 2009 at 10 pm ET/PT

Entrepreneur and TV presenter Saira Khan travels to her parent's country of origin, Pakistan, to reveal the shocking cases of forced marriages dealt with by the British High Commission's Assistance Unit.

Forced To Marry, has unique access as it follows the work of this groundbreaking team and unveils the moving and dramatic stories of British citizens who risk rejection, loneliness and sometimes their lives, to break out of unwanted marriages. Often misunderstood as a religious tradition, forced marriage, as opposed to arranged marriage, is carried out against the victims' will, or under duress.

This film follows consular staff Albert David and Theepan Salvaratnam on a number of dramatic rescues in remote and rural Pakistan. As the practice of forced marriage is still rife in certain regions, the team often walks into highly charged and potentially dangerous situations. Acting on distressed phone calls or text messages, Albert and Theepan enlist the help of local police to track down the victim's location. They then ask for time alone with the women in order to establish her situation, and to offer her safe passage back to Britain via Islamabad. The film tells the dramatic stories of Tania and Rubina (not their real names) who approached the Assistance Unit for help.

Tania has been forced to marry a cousin she barely knows and she has taken the difficult decision to escape and return to the UK. Rubina, who carries signs of physical abuse, is finding it hard to break free.

Tackling hundreds of cases every year, the Assistance Unit is considered one of the world's experts in fighting forced marriages - some of which lead to "honour killings".

Stigmatised and often ignored, the issue of forced marriage is still a dangerous problem for some British citizens and this documentary shows the dramatic steps the Foreign Office is taking to protect them abroad.