UK Visa and Immigration

Headlines have been screaming out about people that have been caught for staging sham marriages.

The UK Border Agency has been seriously cracking down on illegal immigration in the UK.

A sham marriage typically occurs when a non-European marries a European Economic Area national or British citizen in order to try to gain the right to live, work and claim benefits in the UK.

Here are some of the top headlines from the past few months:

Sham marriage fixer pleads guilty – 13 September 2010

A Portuguese man has admitted acting as a ‘fixer’ in a sham marriage which took place at a Bristol church.

José Castanheira appeared at Bristol Crown Court on 10 September 2010 and pleaded guilty to introducing a Portuguese woman and a Nigerian man and acting as a witness at their wedding in exchange for cash.

Strangers jailed for sham marriage attempt – 13 September 2010

A Nigerian man and Portuguese woman have today been sent to prison for 2 years each by a Judge at Bristol Crown Court for trying to stage a sham wedding in Easton, Bristol.

Aliu Onilewura and Gisela Khan had pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing on 13 August 2010 to handing over false identity documents to Church officials, after an investigation by UK Border Agency.

Wedding party arrested in suspected sham marriage – 25 October 2010

A wedding party including the bride and groom were arrested today at Sheffield Town Hall by our officers in what is believed to have been an attempted sham marriage.

The operation led UK Border Agency’s specialist immigration crime team with support from South Yorkshire Police interrupted the wedding ceremony at Sheffield Register Office, Town Hall, Pinstone Street, as it was about to start at 10:30 this morning.

The 36-year-old, Afghan groom (a failed asylum seeker) and his 21-year-old Slovak bride were arrested moments before they attempted to get married. Both were taken to a police station for further questioning along with 2 other guests who were also detained pending further questioning.

Czech national is jailed over East Ham sham marriage – 29 December 2010

A man has been jailed for trying to take part in a sham marriage at a church in east London.

Roman Horvath, a 35-year-old Czech national from Fulham Street in Oldham, was arrested by officers from the UK Border Agency’s London immigration crime team as he arrived for a wedding rehearsal at St Mary Magdalene church on Norman Road, East Ham in July.

He was about to marry 34-year-old Nigerian Victoria Adesola in exchange for cash, with the aim of helping her stay in the UK. However, she had supplied the church with a counterfeit visa and forged utility bills.

Judge tells woman – ‘pay up or go back to jail’ – 30 November 2010

A woman who was jailed for her role in a sham marriage scam has been told she must hand over £67,000 or face a return to jail.

34-year-old Li Fan, from China, was sentenced to 18 months in February after admitting charges of perjury and deception. It followed an investigation by the UK Border Agency’s South East immigration crime team. She has recently been released from prison on licence.