Fake International Marriages Rising
By Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporter
The number of migrants gaining access to Korea through marriages of convenience is increasing, causing a headache for the government. Such marriages are arranged for a fee allowing workers into the country indefinitely.
Busan Saha Police Station caught 60 Korean and Chinese travel agents arranging sham marriages between Chinese nationals and Koreans last month. They reportedly colluded with a document forgery syndicate in Kirin, China, to arrange the forged documents needed for entry into Korea.
Jecheon Police in North Chungcheong Province also caught a gang of marriage brokers last month. They allegedly charged Chinese women eight million each to arrange marriages between them and Korean men, who got three million each from the brokers for their part in the deal.
According to the National Police Agency, there were 1,653 cases of such sham inter-nationality marriages last year. The figure doubled in just two years from 698 in 2004 to 1,653 in 2006.
Among them, 1,177 were brokers who arranged marriages between foreign women, especially those with Chinese nationality, and Korean men.
Most of the brokers search for Korean men who can ``lend'' their resident registration cards for the purposes of the marriages. The police said many included those in their 40s or 50s, in financial difficulty and some who were mentally or physically challenged. Women paid the brokers 8 to 15 million won, of which about 3-5 million won went to their fake husbands.
Once the financial deal is completed, the couples marry in China and send their records to Korea for the husbands to invite their ``spouses'' to Korea. Even after the marriage, to keep themselves under the police radar, they leave their belongings at the Korean husband's house, giving the appearance of an enduring marriage. However, some women were having trouble dodging the police.
Experts said that tighter examination was required at the immigration stage. Police pointed out that the sending of an invitation is too easy. ``The paper does not even ask for personal information as surety,''they said. Also, one person can provide surety for a number of couples, making it easier for brokers to deal with tens of couples at the same time,'' he said.
Some said that loosening regulations on entrance or giving out working visas to foreigners could block these illegal marriages. ``The best way will be for these people to feel no necessity to buy marriages to work in Korea,'' a consultant at a migrant workers' shelter said.