Three in four marriages revealed as 'sham' as rules are tightened
By JAMES SLACK

Last updated at 18:15pm on 25th June 2007

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Three in four marriages may have been a sham to get around immigration rules


Three in every four register office weddings taking place in some parts of Britain may have been a "sham" to allow immigrants to live in the country, it has emerged

The scale of the scandal, which Labour ignored for many years, has been revealed for the first time by a huge reduction in the number of ceremonies taking place.

Since a belated crackdown was ordered in February 2005, the number of couples tying the knot in register offices has fallen by 72 per cent in the London borough of Newham, from 1,834 to 507.

Across the capital, unions fell by 36 per cent. The number of marriages, including those at churches, plunged by at least 10,000.

In Birmingham, register office weddings were down by 17 per cent, from 3,617 in 2004/5 to 3,013 last year.

Mark Rimmer, director of registration and nationality at Brent Council, who first raised the alarm about the sham marriage practice, said: "Most people will be absolutely amazed and gobsmacked by the scale of it."

He said that, even accounting for an overall 10 per cent fall in the number of marriages taking place in all venues last year, it suggests a quarter of weddings in London were bogus.

Registrars, including Mr Rimmer, began warning the Home Office of a huge increase in suspected bogus weddings around five years ago.

Gangs charge up to £10,000 to arrange sham weddings on behalf of migrants desperate to live here.

People with a right to live in Britain, often from other EU countries were paid up to £2,000 a time to take part in the sham weddings. Often, they did not even know their partner's full name or background.

By marrying, the migrant was allowed to remain in Britain and move freely around the EU.

But, despite clear evidence of abuse, it was only in February 2005 that weddings involving a person subject to immigration controls were made the subject of new rules.

Since that date, all migrants must to seek a Home Office Certificate of Approval before a ceremony can take place.

These are only given to those who already have leave to remain in Britain, albeit temporarily. Ceremonies must also take place at designated.

The crack down has since been watered down by the courts. In May this year, Mr Justice Buxton said asking migrants to prove their relationship was genuine breached their human right to marry, and to not be discriminated against.

He said the Home Office must no longer treat all weddings as suspicious, and could only act if there was evidence of a sham union. Ministers insisted it would not undermine the policy.

Immigration Minister Liam Byrne said: "Sham marriages are an abuse of the immigration rules and the certificate of approval process is an effective countermeasure.

"Since we introduced these checks, in February 2005, the number of suspicious marriage reports received from registrars has collapsed from 3,740 in 2004 to less than 300 by the end of May 2005, and between January and August 2006, there were only 149 such reports."

This used to be a cushtie way to get money back in the day... Prob is the men would always get into trouble with the old bill. Was a good source for boopsing. Oh the good old days lol.

This news story remind me of the time some twenty five plus years ago, when i was working in a manual job....and my manager who was a large Ghanian woman.. (very nice but bloody strict about work). approached me, she asked me bluntly if i woulod marry a 'friend' for money so that she could stay in the country...

I guess it was one of those surreal time when i had to do a double take to make sure i heard right... Naturally I politely decline her offer, next day literally this new woman arrived at my place of work, and was eyeing me up down very strangely.. Next thing i know my manager laughingly jokes that not only will she offer me Five hundred pounds to marry this woman, put that she is up for a bit of ladies and gentleman too... SHOCKED and I mean Shocked i can tell you that spend the next couple of days trying very hard to avoid this woman...

On reflection I might of married someone if I cared for them as a friend, and i wanted to help them out.. but really struggled with the concept of marrying for money...which is principally why it never happened..

However question..Has anyone ever been asked to marry to keep someone i the country..I know it is very rife... and second would/could anyone here on BNV marry just for money?

**looks for shock face smiley***

Cushtie way to get money????????? I know you're only joking? LOL

Can think of 1 million things I'd rather do than get married and have to sleep wid some ***** to get how much?? guessing here £3000, that I could spend in 2 minutes? NAHHH MANNNNN. lmaooo

Sleep with them ke (HELL NO)! But I know a few friends who married men from back home so they could get legal stay. This was purely a business deal... Nothing else exchanged. It was a lot safer then (10 years ago). As Kunjufu's experience suggests, this was a common thing, just like asking somebody to come out to dinner for a free meal. I mean when your in your early twenties and have no desire to get married yourself... Why not make £1000+ to sort your self out. Wait a couple of years and file for divorce...It prooved a nice little earner. If only I was old enough.

@Kunjufu, lucky you did not go ahead with it... £500 KMT (lol)

BFG...the Sweetner if you like was the offer that she would sleep with me, now i'd like to repeat EXACTLY what i thought of that offer, but as this is supposed to be a 'family' forum I dare not!!!! LOL

Had this proposition put to me at a place I worked a couple of years back. Turned it down flat. Felt cheapened by the suggestion - had 'trouble' written all over it in ten-foot high capitals.

Can't put a price on my name and self-respect that easy. Not in this or any other life.

Have been offered before for decent moneys but was too shook "what if I'm stuck wid her? What can she take?" and that sort of thing. Now would say no on principles.

I'll do it. the money must be life changing amount though

I was offerd £5000 a few years agoto marry this jamaican girl

The deal was we get married stay "together" for a year. in that time she do all the usul things a wife does for her man..cook..clean and provide e sex on tap (I was also encouraged to breed her) but I obviously could carry on my buisness as the whole things was just a paper exercise..we would like apart and just appear together when need be

I thought about and decidednot to go ahead for 2 reasons. first I thought it was a bit of an isult to the institute of marriage to do this and second mom would have killed me if she found out.

but I have to admit I do smell a rat oftern when I hear of these black english gyal marrying yardie man..

Nah man that's somewhat akin to prostitution. I'd rather hold on to my self respect and dignity.

However if it was the fine ass honey in my signature then I'd probably make an exception and throw all virtue out the window nah mean!

Never, I take marriage seriously. I would never get married to a stranger for money.