Would you accept payment to take part in a sham marriage? Donata Sungailaite shares her view on the story of a student who was offered a generous amount of money in exchange for a marriage with a man in need of a visa
Ladies, what do you look for in a man? A great sense of humor, a kind smile or a snappy look? How about £27,000 and a marriage proposal?
I overheard a story on the bus heading to university the other day. A woman in her mid-twenties told her friend that she had been offered cash for a sham marriage a few years ago. It was offered two to three years ago by an Indian man on the lookout for a visa.
When you're a young university student in desperate need of cash, this can look like a tempting prospect, but being involved in a sham marriage could see you and your spouse getting into serious trouble in the future.
The lady I overheard didn't accept the proposal, but it's easy for me to understand why other people in her situation would have. And indeed, many have, as it is estimated that 10,000 sham marriages take place in the UK each year. Having just one fake marriage on your record will tarnish it forever and will make immigration officials very suspicious of any future marriages.
The marriage proposal I heard about was offered to her personally by that Indian man who was having visa issues and had wanted to immigrate to the UK. As marriage to a non-UK EU national – as that woman was – makes getting a visa so much easier than marriage to a UK national, this is the type of sham-marriage route that is often taken.
For me personally, despite the temptation that the money presented would bring, it just wouldn't be a risk I am willing to take. After all, being in prison would put even more of a dampener on my university studies than being broke ever could!
It is also worth considering that most rules are there for a reason. It’s tricky to get a visa for the UK because everyone wants one, and by participating in a sham marriage you are effectively encouraging people to “jump the queue”. For all you know, one of the people bypassed in favour of someone with a sham marriage could have been much more deserving and more capable of contributing to society.
Of course, foreigners participating in a genuine marriage with a UK or any other EU national can also find themselves doubted and ridiculed. This comes as a result of the focus that the media sometimes puts on fake marriages between UK nationals and EU citizens, and those who hail from non-EU countries.
Realistically, the £27,000 that the woman was offered could have made her life at university far more comfortable; there would have been more takeaways and less beans on toast! But in return, she'd have had to make a home with someone she did not know at all.
It's a dangerous path to take. You wouldn't move in with a complete stranger under any other circumstances, but what choice would you then really have, when living separately from your new husband or wife will almost certainly raise suspicions?
It's not a clever thing to do, but with tuition fees looking like they might be on the rise again soon and the cost of living as high as it is in the UK, especially here in London, I can sympathise with those who have made that choice. It must seem to many like an easy way out of a financial bind, even if it does have unintended consequences in the long run.
For me, the appeal of marrying for love has always been strong and there are several reasons that I wouldn't go through with a sham marriage for immigration purposes. Firstly, my personal safety could be at risk by marrying and living with a complete stranger, and this is something I wouldn't be willing to compromise no matter how large the payout could be.
Secondly, I believe in the integrity of the immigration system that exists in the UK; it rewards those who are patient and those whose skills are necessary for this country. If someone doesn't meet those criteria, it's worth thinking twice about why you're helping them to get a visa anyway.
Finally, I have always wanted to marry someone I love, and on my own terms. Participating in a sham marriage could put other potential candidates off in future, and I have too much respect for the institution of marriage to go undermining it willy-nilly – that's why I'm skint and single!
Ladies, what do you look for in a man? A great sense of humor, a kind smile or a snappy look? How about £27,000 and a marriage proposal?
I overheard a story on the bus heading to university the other day. A woman in her mid-twenties told her friend that she had been offered cash for a sham marriage a few years ago. It was offered two to three years ago by an Indian man on the lookout for a visa.
When you're a young university student in desperate need of cash, this can look like a tempting prospect, but being involved in a sham marriage could see you and your spouse getting into serious trouble in the future.
The lady I overheard didn't accept the proposal, but it's easy for me to understand why other people in her situation would have. And indeed, many have, as it is estimated that 10,000 sham marriages take place in the UK each year. Having just one fake marriage on your record will tarnish it forever and will make immigration officials very suspicious of any future marriages.
The marriage proposal I heard about was offered to her personally by that Indian man who was having visa issues and had wanted to immigrate to the UK. As marriage to a non-UK EU national – as that woman was – makes getting a visa so much easier than marriage to a UK national, this is the type of sham-marriage route that is often taken.
For me personally, despite the temptation that the money presented would bring, it just wouldn't be a risk I am willing to take. After all, being in prison would put even more of a dampener on my university studies than being broke ever could!
It is also worth considering that most rules are there for a reason. It’s tricky to get a visa for the UK because everyone wants one, and by participating in a sham marriage you are effectively encouraging people to “jump the queue”. For all you know, one of the people bypassed in favour of someone with a sham marriage could have been much more deserving and more capable of contributing to society.
Of course, foreigners participating in a genuine marriage with a UK or any other EU national can also find themselves doubted and ridiculed. This comes as a result of the focus that the media sometimes puts on fake marriages between UK nationals and EU citizens, and those who hail from non-EU countries.
Realistically, the £27,000 that the woman was offered could have made her life at university far more comfortable; there would have been more takeaways and less beans on toast! But in return, she'd have had to make a home with someone she did not know at all.
It's a dangerous path to take. You wouldn't move in with a complete stranger under any other circumstances, but what choice would you then really have, when living separately from your new husband or wife will almost certainly raise suspicions?
It's not a clever thing to do, but with tuition fees looking like they might be on the rise again soon and the cost of living as high as it is in the UK, especially here in London, I can sympathise with those who have made that choice. It must seem to many like an easy way out of a financial bind, even if it does have unintended consequences in the long run.
For me, the appeal of marrying for love has always been strong and there are several reasons that I wouldn't go through with a sham marriage for immigration purposes. Firstly, my personal safety could be at risk by marrying and living with a complete stranger, and this is something I wouldn't be willing to compromise no matter how large the payout could be.
Secondly, I believe in the integrity of the immigration system that exists in the UK; it rewards those who are patient and those whose skills are necessary for this country. If someone doesn't meet those criteria, it's worth thinking twice about why you're helping them to get a visa anyway.
Finally, I have always wanted to marry someone I love, and on my own terms. Participating in a sham marriage could put other potential candidates off in future, and I have too much respect for the institution of marriage to go undermining it willy-nilly – that's why I'm skint and single!