Hong Kong ‘slave husband’ from Pakistan warns of marriage migration dangers after six difficult years in city
Estranged from wife whose family stipulated he pay them HK$367,000 if the two divorced, man working on expired visa to surrender to authorities
A Pakistani man claiming he was deprived of food and forced to work as a “slave husband” after he immigrated to Hong Kong is speaking out to prevent others from living his heartbreaking story.
Ashraf, 35, who spoke on condition of not disclosing his first name, married a Hong Kong permanent resident of Pakistani descent in Islamabad on April 24, 2011. The two had met through a family matchmaker and arrived in the city in December that year after waiting for his dependent visa.
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Ashraf said his mother-in-law promised he would enjoy a better life in Hong Kong and be able to support his parents financially. Ashraf said this prospect led him to agree to the marriage.
But his mother-in-law stipulated in the Pakistani marriage contract that he pay his wife’s family five million Pakistani rupees (HK$367,000) if they divorced. Ashraf’s family disagreed with the financial penalty and disowned him. In another twist, Ashraf said his wife, six years his senior, revealed to him on their wedding day that she had a five-year-old son from a previous marriage.
After moving to Hong Kong, Ashraf claimed, his wife often physically and verbally abused him and kept his passport. For seven months, he worked as a full-time security guard and was forced to cook and clean for his wife, her son and mother-in-law after work hours, he said.