Spanish police repatriate a woman who was a victim of a forced marriage in Pakistan

A young woman, forced into marriage with a cousin in Pakistan, has been brought back to Spain, Spanish police announced Saturday, continuing their investigation to identify all those involved in the case which has already led to the arrest of two members of her family.

Originally from Barcelona, she made the trip to Pakistan in September 2025 after a family member told her that her relatives had finally accepted her relationship with a Pakistani national who owned a computer store in Barcelona.

She was accompanied by an uncle, according to the police. But, once there, members of her family allegedly confiscated her Spanish passport before detaining her in a family home where her marriage to one of her cousins had been arranged despite her refusal.

Her partner finally raised the alarm in April, after he himself was attacked with a knife in Barcelona by two men who are believed to be linked to this case.

The Spanish police, in cooperation with the Spanish embassy in Pakistan, were finally able to locate the victim and organizer, ensure her safety and return to Spain, where she received specialized care.

The two men arrested, aged 41 and 45, are suspected of human trafficking for the purpose of forced marriage, according to a statement from the Catalan regional police. They were arrested on July 21 at Barcelona airport.

The Catalan capital has a large Pakistani community, with more than 26,000 Pakistani nationals registered in the city, making it the third largest group of foreign nationals, after Italians and Colombians.