Spanish women paid 3000 euros to marry Nigerians

Thirty people have been arrested in recent months in Palma for having rigged about 150 marriages of convenience between Spanish women and Nigerian men in order to obtain residence permits. The Diario de Mallorca reports that a Policia Nacional operation in Palma has led to 68 arrests across Spain, most of them in Alicante, where the leaders of the illegal marriage syndicate are thought to be based. It is estimated that since last June up to 600 fraudulent marriages in a dozen Spanish provinces have been held using false documents. It was in mid-June when the Anti Counterfeiting and Immigration Unit (UCRIF) of the Policia Nacional in Palma detected a notable rise in the number of Nigerians applying for residence permits in Spain after marrying Spanish women. The agents began to investigate these marriages, which were held at the Church of Sant Francesc de Palma. The investigation by Palma police ascertained that the network it uncovered was not acting alone in Mallorca.

The modus operandi of the organisation was to recruit Nigerians who were in an irregular situation in Spain or wishing to enter the country, with women willing to marry them for money. Thus, the men paid 15,000 euros to the leaders of the organization, 3,000 of which was handed over to Spanish women. Some of them were allowed to marry up to four times, furthering the accusations to include bigamy. In less than six months, it is estimated that there have been around 600 such marriages across Spain.