UK Border Agency officers broke up a suspected sham wedding at Oxford’s Tidmarsh Lane register office on Friday and the groom is currently facing deportation.
Immigration officers broke up the ceremony between a Pakistani man and a Polish woman, the second suspected sham marriage at the same venue in the last two months.
The 24-year-old man, who was living in the UK illegally having overstayed his visa, was arrested.
The 20-year-old Polish woman, who was believed to be living in the Oxford area, was questioned and later released.
The registrar who was dealing with the couple raised the alarm when she had suspicions about the arrangement.
Home Office spokesman Adam Edwards said, “Registrars have a legal obligation to inform us if they have any suspicions about a wedding.
“If a couple wants to marry they have to give notice of their intention to the registration service.
“If they are showing signs they don’t know each other or can’t speak the same language, the registrar will get in touch with us.”
This operation was carried out with the help of Oxfordshire’s superintendent registrar Alicja Gilroy.
Immigration enforcement officers have the option to arrest the individuals before the wedding, or, as in this case, turn up on the day itself when they know that the couple will both be there.
Neither of the couple could be identified as they had not been charged with a criminal offence.
A sham marriage is not illegal in itself, but can be a cover for a number of offences from perjury to facilitating a breach of immigration law.
