POLISH women living in Glasgow are being offered cash by criminals who are trying to arrange bogus marriages.
POLISH women living in Glasgow are being offered cash by criminals who are trying to arrange bogus marriages.
The gangsters are offering thousands of pounds to set up fake marriages between the Polish women and asylum seekers desperate to stay in Scotland.
One Glasgow MP says he is aware of several cases where young Polish women have been approached and offered cash to marry men from countries outside the EU.
Polish citizens can live and work in the UK since the country joined the EU in 2004 and many Poles have moved to Glasgow.
The criminals are said to be demanding up to £10,000 to set up the weddings which allow non-Eu nationals to remain in the UK.
The sham weddings are a quick and easy way for the criminals involved to raise a huge sum of money.
Dozens of young Polish women, many living in the South Side, have come forward and reported being approached by the criminals.
Once asylum seekers have been set up with a woman, the couples then go abroad to get married, away from the scrutiny of the British authorities.
The grooms' can then legally stay and work in the Britain.
Ian Davidson MP, who represents the Glasgow South West constituency, said: "I've been contacted by a number of Polish girls, who live locally and say that they're being offered up to £3,000 to marry asylum seekers.
"The men from Algeria, Afghanistan, Turkey and Pakistan hope that by arranging a bogus marriage they will be able to claim the right to stay in the UK."
He added: "This is a subject that has been concerning me for some time now and one which I fully intend to give increased attention to over the coming weeks and months."
Anyone marrying an EU citizen gets the right to stay in Britain and after two years, the men are then entitled to apply for their own permanent British passport and are free to divorce their bogus bride.
Most of the young women being approached are vulnerable, single mums or drug addicts, who are then bullied into signing up for the fake ceremonies.
With many of the potential brides living in deprived areas, criminals are taking advatage of their desperation and need for money.
The Polish Consulate in London has confirmed the number of Polish women marrying non-EU foreigners has soared rapidly in recent months.
Since 2005 and the introduction of the Asylum and Immigration Act, it has been more difficult for people from outside the EU to get married in Britain.
Prior to this they only had to turn up to a registry office to marry a British or EU citizen.
Changes to the law now mean Home Office permission is needed first and as a result.
Mr Davidson added: "I'm now contacting the Home Office and the UK Border Agency to alert them to this scam and urge them to take action to ensure bogus marriages do not allow a back door into the UK.
"I'm afraid this seems to be yet another route by which those who do not deserve to stay in the UK are finding ways round British immigration controls."
For more on this story see tomorrow's Evening Times
rebecca.gray@heraldandtimes.co.uk
