Conditions for Afghan Escape: Child Marriage? ... US Government Launches Investigation into Claims by Some Escaping Girls

Afghan refugees who fled the Taliban are living in tents in Chaman, central Pakistan, bordering Afghanistan, on the 31st of last month (local time).
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] Some girls who escaped from Afghanistan, which is controlled by the Islamic militant group Taliban, have claimed that they were forced into child marriage as a price for their escape.

According to foreign media reports including the US CBS News on the 4th (local time), some Afghan girls housed in refugee facilities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) told US government officials that "their families forced them into marriage outside Kabul airport as a condition for evacuation from Afghanistan."

Additionally, the Associated Press (AP) reported, citing internal government documents, that suspected cases of child marriage were reported at a facility within the Fort McCoy military base in Wisconsin, USA, where more than 8,000 Afghan refugees are staying.

The documents contained information that facility staff confirmed multiple cases of adult Afghan men claiming to have more than two wives and asserting that they married accompanying underage girls. Child marriage of young girls is not known to be a common custom in Afghanistan.

The US State Department has not issued an official comment on this matter. However, a senior US State Department official stated that they are taking this issue seriously and are conducting related investigations.

A spokesperson for Fort McCoy also said, "We are aware of this matter and are taking it seriously, conducting an investigation," adding, "The safety of Afghan refugees is our top priority."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.