Filenews 21 September 2021 - by Michalis Hadjivasilis
The first case of marriages of mock marriages after the passage of the new law that tightens the legal framework for performing such marriages, is being investigated since last Saturday by the Police, who have already handcuffed three persons.
Now we are looking for prospective grooms, who would marry European women in order to obtain the status of European citizen, for a fee. Already, as admitted by two young prospective brides from Romania, they got an advance in order to come to Cyprus to perform the first part of the process and then after the supposed marriage will take place to get the rest of the money. Information from "F" reports that the two young women, aged 18 and 19, interrogated by police officers, confessed that they took €700 in order to come to Cyprus and perform sham marriages with persons from Bangladesh. Members of the IOC Nicosia have also detained a 34-year-old man from this Asian country, as the person who took over and made all the arrangements. The day before yesterday, the three arrested persons were brought before the Nicosia District Court which ordered their detention for six days.
The Anti-Trafficking Office did not recognize the two young prospective brides as victims of trafficking, which is why they are being held along with the 34-year-old in the context of an investigation into a case concerning the offences of assisting illegal entry, transit and stay in the Republic of Cyprus, as well as performing sham marriages.
It is noted that the 34-year-old was found to be staying illegally in the territory of the Republic of Cyprus.
According to information provided by "F", members of the IAU nicosia will now conduct investigations in the Civil Registry and Migration Department of the Ministry of Interior, in order to determine whether documents have been filed in relation to the renting of an apartment of the alleged couple, regardless of whether they would not live together. For this purpose, any prospective "grooms" who came to Cyprus in order to secure the status of European citizen will also be sought.
According to a recent admission by the Minister of Interior, Nikos Nouris, many marriages of sham are performed by foreign students, which is why with the new legislation and the tightening of the regulations, not a single one was recorded.