Tuesday, January 15, 2008

PRIVATE MP's BILL TO STEM FRAUDULENT MARRIAGES

It appears that a Federal MP of Indian origin has finally responded to public concerns about fraudulent marriages, by introducing a private member's Bill that would bar persons sponsored by Canadian citizens who take advantage of immigration laws to come to Canada and then dissolve their marriage upon arrival from sponsoring other spouses. The article below appeared in The Statesman, a newspaper from Calcutta, India. It remains to be seen whether the Bill would move further, or even whether the scheme proposed could pass a constitutional test. However, it is an interesting attempt to fix a serious problem, particularly in the Indian community. recent cases have demonstrated that there is an increasing number of people marrying unsuspecting Canadians for immigration purposes, and in some cases many Canadians have been financially ruined by the disastrous marriages. Note the colorful language of the article:
Motion in Canadian House to plug immigration loopholes

Statesman News Service
CHANDIGARH, Jan. 14: A motion has been moved in Canadian House of Commons seeking an amendment to immigration laws to prevent fraud in marriages. The motion was moved by Mr Gurbux Singh Malhi, a Canadian MP of Punjabi origin. Mr Malhi said that there had been several cases in which young men and women from India got married to a youth in Canada with the sole purpose of getting immigration. Once these persons reached Canada, they walk out of the marriage. There were even case of Indian girls reaching Canada but never going to their husbands' homes. People have been talking about such cases in the Canadian society and this is eroding the very institution of marriage. People in Canada are being cheated; their homes are shattered because of lacunae in the existing laws. Mr Malhi, who is a five-time MP from the constituency of Bramalea-Gore-Malton, is on a visit to India. He said that the motion, if accepted, would bring in change in the immigration law in Canada. Under the existing law, a person living in Canada can sponsor his or her Indian spouse. But in case a fraud is committed, the person with Canadian citizenship is barred from a applying for a fresh sponsorship for three years. This prevents the Canadians from re-marrying. However, the Indian man or woman, who actually comes to Canada on a sponsorship and commits a fraud, can sponsor a second spouse from India any time. Under the motion proposed by Mr Malhi, the Indian youth coming on marriage sponsorship should not be allowed to sponsor someone else for a period of five years. The motion may be debated in the next three-four months, he said. If passed, the new law will prove a deterrent to people who want to reach Canada by hook or by crook. Mr Malhi said in case fraud is proved, the laws in Canada provide for deportation. He also said he had taken up the issue of high refusal rate for visitors visa with the Canadian government. Genuine cases are being rejected. Visa has been refused even to people who wanted to visit Canada to attend the marriages of their children.

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