What UK's proposed cousin marriage ban would mean for Pakistanis?

A proposed ban on cousin marriages in the UK has triggered a debate, especially among the Pakistani community settled there.

Conservative MP Richard Holden has introduced a bill to ban cousin marriages in the UK, saying they are “not really conducive to modern British society.”

He also cited health risks in children born through these marriages, saying they have a higher chance of birth defects.

1.6 million Pakistani-origin people live in the UK, making them the largest Pakistani community in Europe, according to Pakistan's Foreign Ministry.

Multiple studies show the prevalence of cousin marriages is highest in the Pakistani community with rates ranging between 20% to 40%.

Current law prohibits marriage between siblings or parents and children but does not ban cousin marriages.

Ruba Bibi was only 17 years old when she was married to her cousin, who was 10 years older than her, according to BBC.

When she gave birth to her first son, doctors said he had I-cell disease, a rare genetic disorder which causes developmental delays, including intellectual disabilities

In the next couple of years, she lost three children and suffered six miscarriages.

Despite denying the thought initially, she says she has come to terms with the fact that her children's ill health is related to her cousin marriage.

Bradford, a city in England, is also known as ‘mini Pakistan’ due to its dense Pakistan-origin population.

Born in Bradford is a groundbreaking research project tracking the health of 14,000 families, 46% of them Pakistanis.

The city's infant mortality rate - double the national average - provided the impetus for the study

According to the study between 2007 and 2019, the rate of cousin marriages in Pakistan has fallen from 62% to 46%.

Community workers say that with falling trends of cousin marriages what is needed is more education programs rather than legislation or bans.