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Singapore sees rise in sham marriages

Singapore saw a sharp increase in sham marriages or marriages of convenience in 2024, according to the Southeast Asian country's Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA).

Singapore (VNA) - Singapore saw a sharp increase in sham marriages or marriages of convenience in 2024, according to the Southeast Asian country's Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA).

The Straits Times cited data from the ICA showing that there were 32 cases of sham marriages between January and September 2024, a stark rise compared to just four during the same period in 2023.

Inspector Mark Chai, deputy officer-in-charge of ICA's intelligence division, warned that such marriages pose social risks in Singapore's multi-ethnic society.

These arrangements typically involve foreign women paying Singaporean men to marry them, enabling the women to secure permits to stay or work in the country, he said.

Convictions for participating in sham marriages can result in up to 10 years in prison, fines of up to 10,000 SGD, or both.

Superintendent Goh Wee Kiat, senior assistant director at ICA's intelligence division, highlighted that public tip-offs often help uncover such cases.

ICA is intensifying enforcement efforts to dismantle networks involved in arranging such fraudulent marriages./.

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