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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Sham marriages on the rise in UK | Sham marriages on the rise in UK |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| The number of suspected sham marriages by illegal immigrants has leapt by more than half in the past year. | The number of suspected sham marriages by illegal immigrants has leapt by more than half in the past year. |
| Figures from the Home Office show a 54% jump in suspected cases reported by registrars in England and Wales. | Figures from the Home Office show a 54% jump in suspected cases reported by registrars in England and Wales. |
| The leap comes after the Law Lords overturned a government scheme designed to stop illegal immigrants marrying. | The leap comes after the Law Lords overturned a government scheme designed to stop illegal immigrants marrying. |
| Registrars have told the BBC that marriage rackets are using Eastern European brides to provide other migrants with a toehold in the UK. | Registrars have told the BBC that marriage rackets are using Eastern European brides to provide other migrants with a toehold in the UK. |
| The scale of the problem has been highlighted in a special BBC investigation in which a reporter posed as an illegal immigrant - and quickly found people offering to help him marry. | The scale of the problem has been highlighted in a special BBC investigation in which a reporter posed as an illegal immigrant - and quickly found people offering to help him marry. |
| In 2005, the government told foreigners they needed the home secretary's permission to get married in the UK. If someone did not have a legal right to be in the country, they were denied a certificate of approval. | In 2005, the government told foreigners they needed the home secretary's permission to get married in the UK. If someone did not have a legal right to be in the country, they were denied a certificate of approval. |
| Registrars had lobbied for the change saying they had been powerless to stop a massive rise in bogus marriages, with more than 3,500 suspected cases in one year alone. | Registrars had lobbied for the change saying they had been powerless to stop a massive rise in bogus marriages, with more than 3,500 suspected cases in one year alone. |
| Within months of the introduction of the home secretary's veto, the number of cases dropped dramatically. | Within months of the introduction of the home secretary's veto, the number of cases dropped dramatically. |
| But the Law Lords later said the approval scheme breached human rights because it unfairly affected almost every foreign national, without trying to work out whether a couple were conning the system or not. | But the Law Lords later said the approval scheme breached human rights because it unfairly affected almost every foreign national, without trying to work out whether a couple were conning the system or not. |
| Legal right | Legal right |
| The latest Home Office figures show that in 2008, the last year the scheme was in force, registrars reported 344 marriages to the home secretary for further investigation. | The latest Home Office figures show that in 2008, the last year the scheme was in force, registrars reported 344 marriages to the home secretary for further investigation. |
| Watch when Mark Rimmer confronted a groom he suspected | |
| In the 11 months to the end of November last year, the number of suspected cases went up by more than half to 529. | In the 11 months to the end of November last year, the number of suspected cases went up by more than half to 529. |
| Registrars have told the BBC that sham marriage rackets have returned and many are using Eastern European spouses who have a legal right to be in the UK. This makes it easier for the migrant from another part of the world to settle. | Registrars have told the BBC that sham marriage rackets have returned and many are using Eastern European spouses who have a legal right to be in the UK. This makes it easier for the migrant from another part of the world to settle. |
| Mark Rimmer, the superintendent registrar for the London Borough of Brent, said: "The government legislated to address the issue and were very successful. | Mark Rimmer, the superintendent registrar for the London Borough of Brent, said: "The government legislated to address the issue and were very successful. |
| "If nothing is done, I think we will go back to where we were. We had people queuing up in our waiting area - all of them were just bogus marriage after bogus marriage." | "If nothing is done, I think we will go back to where we were. We had people queuing up in our waiting area - all of them were just bogus marriage after bogus marriage." |
| Investigation: Bogus brides for illegal migrants | |
| Mr Rimmer said registrars were seeing cases where the couple could not speak each other's language and their body language made it obvious that they barely knew each other. | Mr Rimmer said registrars were seeing cases where the couple could not speak each other's language and their body language made it obvious that they barely knew each other. |
| "Pakistani and Portuguese is one that has seemed to crop up recently. If you see one [couple] that's OK. But when you see three in a week, you start to think that something strange is going on." | "Pakistani and Portuguese is one that has seemed to crop up recently. If you see one [couple] that's OK. But when you see three in a week, you start to think that something strange is going on." |
| Immigration minister Phil Woolas said the government regretted the Law Lords' ruling and was looking again at the law. | Immigration minister Phil Woolas said the government regretted the Law Lords' ruling and was looking again at the law. |
| But he added: "Just because someone is married does not mean at all that their immigration status is granted. | But he added: "Just because someone is married does not mean at all that their immigration status is granted. |
| "The registrars have a system of reporting where they think a marriage is not genuine. Those reports are then used by the immigration officials. The issue of marriage is different to immigration status. A visa will not be issued if there is reason to think the marriage is not genuine." | "The registrars have a system of reporting where they think a marriage is not genuine. Those reports are then used by the immigration officials. The issue of marriage is different to immigration status. A visa will not be issued if there is reason to think the marriage is not genuine." |
| The government is considering whether to introduce new methods of controlling marriages involving foreign nationals, including the introduction of biometric checks. | The government is considering whether to introduce new methods of controlling marriages involving foreign nationals, including the introduction of biometric checks. |