Anglicans target sham marriages

Vicars advised to direct couples who include foreign nationals to apply for a common licence, which involves greater scrutiny The Church of England is to stop offering the traditional practice of reading the banns before weddings involving a foreign national from outside Europe as part of a drive against “sham marriages”. New guidance for clergy from the House of Bishops says that couples who include a foreign national and insist on their banns being published should be reported to the diocesan authorities immediately and their details passed on to the UK Border Agency (UKBA). Vicars are to be asked to suggest that couples who include foreign nationals should be directed to apply for a common licence, which involves greater scrutiny such as the production of passports and swearing of affidavits. There is a certain irony in the decision to ban the practice of publishing the banns for couples who include a foreign national as it was originally established to enable any local objections to be raised to an impending wedding to prevent marriages that are invalid. The Rt Rev John Packer, Bishop of Ripon and Leeds, said the new guidance was needed because the “office of holy matrimony must not be misused by those who have no intention of contracting a genuine marriage but merely a sham marriage. The purpose of this guidance and direction from the bishops to the clergy and those responsible for the grant of common licences is, therefore, to prevent the contracting of sham marriages in the Church of England.” The immigration minister, Damian Green, who approved the new guidance, said recent enforcement action had resulting in 155 arrests for sham marriages across the country: “Would-be fraudsters should remember that a marriage in itself does not equal an automatic right to remain in the UK.” The guidance says that if the couple insist on having banns read rather than applying for a common licence they should be reported to diocesan legal officers. The clergy should require verifiable evidence of the couple’s right to marriage by banns, such as a driving licence and official correspondence in their original forms, and they should visit the couple at the address they have given. The guidance encourages vicars to contact the UKBA if they have any doubts about the marriages they are asked to conduct. They are encouraged to report any threats or other improper pressure to the police. It makes clear that while vicars have a legal duty to conduct the marriages of their parishoners, this does not extend to marry people “in pursuance of a criminal enterprise”. Marriage Christianity Religion Alan Travis guardian.co.uk

Posted by on April 12, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.