SINGAPORE, Jan 5 – Cases of sham marriages in Singapore have reportedlt seen a sharp rise in 2024, with 32 cases reported between January and September, compared to only four during the same period in 2023.
Straits Times cited the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) attributing the increase to foreign nationals seeking to extend their stay or work permits in the country.
“The idea of such marriages is often spread through word of mouth. And to some Singaporean men, it can be seen as easy money,” Inspector Mark Chai, deputy officer-in-charge of ICA’s intelligence division, was quoted saying.
Chai said most cases involved foreign women paying Singaporean men to arrange for a union to stay in Singapore.
Superintendent Goh Wee Kiat, a senior assistant director at ICA, noted: “The couple can try to hide the fact that their union is a marriage of convenience, but there are telltale signs that our officers are able to spot.”
Sham marriages, also known as marriages of convenience, are arranged solely to secure immigration benefits, such as permits to stay or work in Singapore.
Such arrangements are illegal in Singapore, with penalties of up to 10 years’ imprisonment, a fine of S$10,000 (RM33,000), or both for those convicted.
The ICA highlighted a recent case involving a Singaporean man and a Vietnamese woman, whose alleged sham marriage was uncovered during a raid in December.
ICA investigations revealed the couple had claimed to live together, but evidence suggested otherwise, including testimony from the man’s mother, who said she was unaware of his marriage.
In June 2024, 13 individuals, including six Vietnamese women and seven Singaporean men, were charged over their alleged involvement in a suspected sham marriage syndicate.
