Figures lead registrar to raise concerns over sham marriages

Concerns have been raised about a rise in sham marriages, with figures showing almost half of couples involving a non-Irish EU citizen and a non-EU citizen who gave notice of their intention to marry last year did not go ahead with their nuptials.

The scale of the numbers not proceeding with their proposed marriage has raised concerns about the growing problem at attempts to arrange marriages of convenience here.

Only 841 out of 1,585 proposed marriages involving a non-Irish EU partner and a non-EU citizen proceeded as intended last year, according to figures published by the General Register Office. It represents just 53% of all couples who had issued notification of intention to marry.

Pakistanis account for the biggest number of marriages involving a non-Irish EU citizen and non-EU citizen last year (396) followed by citizens from Brazil (126), India (125), Bangladesh (73) and Venezuela (49).

The registrar general, Kieran Feely said the figures suggested there was “a significant problem” with the issue of marriages of convenience. Mr Feely said anecdotal evidence suggested the increase in the number of civil marriages in recent years was partly accounted for by marriages of convenience.

It is believed the number of such marriages rose after a European Court of Justice ruling in 2008 which allowed the non-EU spouse of an EU citizen to move and reside with their partners within the EU without having previously been lawfully resident in a member state. The judgement did not apply to a non- EU spouse married to an Irish citizen.

“While it would be wrong to characterise all marriages between EU and non-EU nationals as marriages of convenience, the relatively low rate of conversion of notices of intention to marry would suggest that marriages of convenience are a significant problem,” said Mr Feely.

Mr Feely welcomed the introduction of the Civil Registration (Amendment) Act 2014 which allows a registrar to consider certain matters when a notice of intention to marry is received from a foreign national to form an opinion as whether the proposed marriage would constitute a marriage of convenience.