Convictions for bogus marriages soar to 284: ICA
Crackdown by ICA comes amid tougher new penalties
Published on Jun 26, 2014 6:54 AM
By Walter Sim
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A crackdown on sham marriages by the immigration authorities netted 284 convictions last year - more than treble the 89 people convicted in 2012.
The dramatic stepping up of enforcement action coincided with far tougher penalties of up to 10 years in prison applying to these bogus unions.
Typically, marriages of convenience here involve foreign women whose "I do" really means "I do want to live in Singapore".
And for the Singaporean man, it is a case of "I do ...want some easy money" for taking part in the immigration scam. Middlemen who arrange these unions are also liable under the law.