Increasing Marriage Fever of Migrant Girls in Iran with Youths Abroad
This writing does not intend to suggest that marrying a European-based Afghan is inherently wrong. It can be good if done with full awareness, thorough research, and proper understanding
By Dr. Batool Haidari
In recent years, with the rise in emigration from Afghanistan and Iran, there has been an increasing trend among girls born in Iran or who have lived and grown up there for years to marry young men who have recently emigrated from Afghanistan or have been living abroad for a while.
Many of these girls view such marriages as a means to escape restrictive conditions and economic hardships in Iran rather than as an opportunity to experience a new culture, explore the modern world, or have a clear objective for the future. Consequently, they often rush into these relationships without any research on the young man’s income, residency status, character, or lifestyle. They also overlook the negative consequences of such marriages, making hasty decisions and entering relationships impulsively.
These marriages might initially seem successful and come with the perceived prestige of having a term named “groom from abroad,” which some girls consider an advantage over choosing young men who haven’t set foot in Europe. This perception persists even if those young men are well-educated or have decent jobs. The belief is that by marrying a European-based Afghan, even one who is uneducated and lacks sufficient awareness, the girl is achieving all her dreams and taking several steps ahead of her peers.
The ceremonies often start in luxurious halls, featuring the release of doves, followed by carriage rides and the cutting of multi-tiered cakes. After years of waiting and completing administrative processes, the bride steps into the cold, soulless Europe. Once the initial excitement wears off, she realizes that her husband’s debts cover not only their household expenses but also the costs of his family in Afghanistan and his sisters’ needs.
So, he no longer has even an hour to listen to his wife, as he must devote himself to work in these countries to cover the expenses. Gradually, the young man’s personality issues and, at times, physical, mental, and nervous disorders also surface.
This writing does not intend to suggest that marrying a European-based Afghan is inherently wrong. It can be good if done with full awareness, thorough research, and proper understanding. However, suppose the sole objective is to “just get abroad” by any means necessary, ignoring all aspects of understanding the young man who will be a lifelong partner, simply to appear superior to family members, classmates, and neighborhood girls. In that case, it is not only detrimental but can also have numerous negative consequences, some of which may be irreversible in some instances. #mohajirtimes
