Man arrested over sham West London Wedding
The UK Border Agency has arrested an Indian man just before a suspected sham marriage ceremony was about to begin in Uxbridge.
Officers, who received a tip off about the marriage, arrested the 22-year-old groom-to-be moments before the service at the Civic Centre in Uxbridge at 2.30pm on Monday.
He was detained by immigration officials for remaining in the country illegally after overstaying his visa.
The man, who had been living at an address in Harlington, was set to enter into a partnership with a 23-year-old Hungarian woman.
The pair were to be joined together in matrimony despite the fact that neither appeared to be able to speak the same language.
While the woman was questioned and released, the Indian man has been detained and is set to be removed from Britain.
The UK Border Agency is working hard to cut down these types of sham marriages, which typically occur when a non-European marries someone from Europe to gain long-term residency and the right to work or claim benefits in the UK.
UK Border Agency assistant director, Sarah Burton, explained that they are working closely with London-based registrars to stop sham weddings and civil partnerships.
“Where there are suspicions that a relationship may not be genuine we will investigate and, if necessary, intervene to stop it happening,” she added.
Hillingdon Council’s cabinet member for property, Councillor Jonathan Bianco explained that the local authority takes a very dim view of sham marriages and its staff helped with this arrest.
He explained that council staff have been trained to watch out for suspicious behaviour and raise the alarm.
Mr Bianco would like this case to become a deterrent for others who are considering a sham marriage, showing them it will not be tolerated in the borough.
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