Hong Kong witnesses 47-fold increase in bogus marriage cases

Apr 14, 2011, 3:32 GMT

Hong Kong - Hong Kong is struggling with a 47-fold increase in the backlog of bogus marriage investigations, an government audit report showed Thursday.

As of June, 3,454 cases were under investigation compared to 72 in 2006, the report of the Audit Commission said. It also noted that 702 people, including syndicate members, had been convicted of crimes associated with bogus marriages since 2006.

The Immigration Department set up a special task force in 2006 to investigate fake marriages which usually take place between a Hong Kong resident and a mainland Chinese as a means of gaining residency in the city.

Court cases have shown that often these marriages are arranged by syndicates who charge high prices for setting up the weddings.

The Audit Commission has called on the Immigration Department to review the manpower of the task force to better deal with the backlog.

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