Fine Gael proposes tougher laws to halt 'sham marriages' trend

TOUGHER LAWS aimed at clamping down on the growing trend of "sham marriages" will be tabled by Fine Gael in the Dáil.

This follows evidence which suggests that an EU law, which allows foreign nationals to apply for residency in Ireland on the basis that they have married an EU citizen from outside the State, is being exploited.

At least 4,600 such people applied for Irish residency in the past two years, including some 600 each from Nigeria and Pakistan, according to Department of Justice figures. A closer analysis of the figures shows unusually high rate of marriage between Latvians and immigrants from the Indian subcontinent.

For example, 10 per cent of all applications were from Latvians, and 50 per cent of them were married to Pakistani, Indian or Bangladeshi nationals.

Government officials say the figures are so statistically abnormal that they cannot have occurred by chance. Of 4,600 applications, 2,000 were turned down - but this has since been reversed following a European Court of Justice ruling in July.

Fine Gael's immigration and integration spokesperson Denis Naughten TD said his party has drafted an amendment via the Social Welfare Bill 2008 which could deal with the loophole in a "proportionate" manner. "The Fine Gael amendment will allow registrars to inform the Minister for Justice of suspected marriages of convenience . . . and initiate an investigation . . . ," he said.