Action demanded on 'sham marriages'

Laws should be enforced to allow registrars who suspect marriages of convenience to inform authorities, it was claimed today.

Fine Gael said it will table an amendment to the Civil Registration Act this week to tackle the growing trend of "sham marriages" in registry offices around the country.

Denis Naughten, the party's immigration and integration spokesman, said reforms would give registrars the right to report suspected marriages of convenience to the Department for Justice for investigation.

"Justice Minister Dermot Ahern believes that marriages of convenience are a serious problem which can undermine our immigration system," said Mr Naughten.

"Under current law, there is a provision to have a marriage in this country stopped if there is a belief that it is not genuine.

"The Fine Gael amendment will allow registrars to inform the Minister for Justice of suspected marriages of convenience, which could halt the marriage and initiate an investigation to look behind the circumstances of the marriage in question."

Justice Minister Dermot Ahern recently told a Dáil committee that of the 4,600 applications for residency since May 2006, a statistically disproportionate number were from failed asylum seekers from Nigeria and Pakistan.

Around 10% of all EU spouses were Latvian with 33% of the Latvians married to Pakistanis and 50% married to Pakistanis, Bangladeshis or Indians.

Mr Naughten added: "There is a requirement on people wishing to marry to register their intent three months in advance. This amendment will give the Minister for Justice ample time to register an objection and cause an investigation to be carried out, where there are genuine suspicions that this may be a sham marriage."