http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/News/National/2006/11/01/2196747-sun.html
Immigrants marry kin to beat lineup (in Canada)
Wed, November 1, 2006
London Free Press.
By JESSICA NADEAU AND GABRIEL ZIMMERMANN,
SUN MEDIA
MONTREAL — Some immigrants are marrying their own sister — even their mother — to get into Canada.
While the majority of these immigrants hail from Africa, some are coming from Europe.
Montreal immigration lawyer Awatif Lakhdar says he is aware of two cases in which bogus couples managed to thwart the law before appearing in his office.
“The first had married his sister, the second his mother. They had managed to slip through the cracks in the system, but eventually they found themselves before the courts,” he said.
People are ready to go to this extreme because it is much quicker to get a spouse into Canada than a sibling or parent.
In addition to presenting forged documents to immigration officials, many also produce phony wedding photos depicting the happy couple kissing.
According Immigration Canada, 70 per cent to 80 per cent of those claiming marital status are accepted on production of documentation only.
Lawyer Patric-Claude Caron, said he knows of at least three cases involving wedded brothers and sisters in recent years which had been foiled.
“They asked me to help them. It didn't take long to figure out they were brothers and sisters,” he said.
The practice is not unheard-of in several ethnic communities of Montreal, including those of Somalis, Congolese and Guineans, and others from countries where it is relatively easy to falsify documents.
One case was cited of a man of Guinean origin arriving at Montreal in 2001. He married his own sister in 2004 after wedding another woman in a nearby country.
His sister arrived in Montreal early this year and he has since left the country to be with his real wife.
Another man from Guinea, however, was tripped up in his attempt to bring his sister to Canada. Sources say Immigration officials raised questions when he attempted to bring in more than the two children registered in his file and ordered DNA tests.
It's very difficult to know exactly how widespread the practice is.
Our reporters met at least 30 recent immigrants who claim to know at least one person who gained entry to Canada this way. All requested anonymity, fearing personal retribution.
An Immigration Canada official said the federal department is aware of the practice of using fraudulent marriages between brothers and sisters to gain entry, but is not planning any special attention to address it.
“We have no particular position on this subject ,” said Stephane Malepart, adding a reliable system is already in place to verify the authenticity of family relationships, although DNA tests are rare.
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http://www.640toronto.com/news/metro.cfm?cat=7428109912&rem=51096&red=80110923aPBIny&wids=410&gi=1&gm=metro.cfm
Report Claims Some Immigrants Marry Relatives to Come to Canada
Nov, 01 2006 – 5:20 AM
TORONTO – A disturbing report out this morning illustrates just how desperate some immigrants are to get into Canada. Immigration lawyers tell the Sun, they've run into a few cases in which men desperate to come to Canada married their mother or their sister.
They're going to these extremes because it's much quicker to get a spouse into the country than it is a relative.
The scam is apparently quite elaborate. Not only do the fake couples produce forged marriage documents; some of them have even shown immigration officials phoney wedding pictures.
– AM 640 Toronto 24 Hour Newscentre
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