Sham Weddings, I think it's the reporting that's a sham! Options

[Ben01635]

Just seen this article http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/oct/25/i...eddings-arrests and have to say that I think this is media hype to make us believe they are being tough on immigration.
My reasoning for this?..... I got married earlier this year having been with my now wife for 5 years. She was born in the States but moved here with her family at the age of 7 and was granted indefinite leave. She has been educated in this country, has worked and paid taxes since the age of 16 and has now married a British citizen. Despite all this, for her to become naturalised as they now call it she has to pay approx £1000, and take a citizenship test. We have both decided that it's not worth the hassle, but of course she still cannot vote or be issued with a British Passport.

If it is so hard and expensive for a legitimate applicant to be granted naturalisation even after getting married, what on earth does disrupting these weddings do apart from make great headline stories!?

[Jayjay]

Just seen this article http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/oct/25/i...eddings-arrests and have to say that I think this is media hype to make us believe they are being tough on immigration.
My reasoning for this?..... I got married earlier this year having been with my now wife for 5 years. She was born in the States but moved here with her family at the age of 7 and was granted indefinite leave. She has been educated in this country, has worked and paid taxes since the age of 16 and has now married a British citizen. Despite all this, for her to become naturalised as they now call it she has to pay approx £1000, and take a citizenship test. We have both decided that it's not worth the hassle, but of course she still cannot vote or be issued with a British Passport.

If it is so hard and expensive for a legitimate applicant to be granted naturalisation even after getting married, what on earth does disrupting these weddings do apart from make great headline stories!?

I think the difference is asylum seekers, I presume the police suspect he was getting married in a bid to stay in the UK. There was a report in the media last week of a vicar encouraging illegal immigrants to marry in his church to enable them to stay in this country and I recall a Lithuanian marrying a nigerian (may have the nationalities mixed up here) so they were given right to stay, although they both were illegal, because they had got married here. I do agree the authorities are not being tough on immigration, but at least this maqy be a start.