Issue 390 April 15, 2018
Fake marriages victimise genuine couples
The ‘business’ of entering into matrimony to gain permanent resident status is a thriving industry in New Zealand but many are coming to grief and left in the lurch.
Recruiting brides and grooms
There is an equal mix of Indians from Fiji and India in the industry with members of both sexes acting as de facto spouses demanding and receiving monetary compensation. According to some sources, a few women are reportedly working as ‘agents’ to recruit ‘brides and grooms’ for supply to the local market for a consideration.
In other cases, the deal is for the intended purpose of regularising stay. Sex plays a small but decisive part in the process.
Indian Newslink regularly investigates cases which come our notice. INZ conducts its own probe following which many fraudsters are declared illegal and served with eviction notice.
While some have left the country to return later, others have reportedly gone into hiding or appealed through courts and voluntary organisations to be treated as refugees.
A handful of such cases have been successful but a large number of them remain as illegal residents but at large.
Immigration through Marriage
An immigration lawyer said that it was not uncommon for overstayers and visitors to ‘marry’ a New Zealand Citizen or a Permanent Resident (PR), hoping to regularise their stay in the country. For time to time we hear of cases of young men and women entering marriages of convenience to obtain residency. Women often endure violence and abuse.
It is now time to not only stop fake marriages but also the illegal activities that are associated with them. It is important because increasingly all applications from people of Indian origin are viewed with suspicion and young couples who are legally married with the knowledge and consent of their parents suffer separation.
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