Foreign nationals arrested for marriages of convenience

(Image: Jabez nelson, via Wikimedia Commons)

The three foreign nationals - two Indian women and a Pakistani male - were caught on Tuesday, during a raid conducted by Home Affairs Immigration Inspectorate in various houses in Johannesburg.

According to the Home Affairs Department, the first Indian woman is alleged to have registered herself as being married to a South African national, but was found to be residing with her real Indian husband in Johannesburg.

The South African national, who was alleged to have been married to the woman, was unaware of the change in his status. The suspect will appear in the Springs court today.

The second Indian woman is alleged to have fraudulently acquired two South African passports for her two children.

"The two children were born in India but were fraudulently registered as being born in South Africa," said department spokesperson, Ronnie Mamoepa.

She is scheduled to appear before the Benoni court today. The Pakistani male, who was arrested for an alleged fraudulent marriage to a South African female, will appear before the Johannesburg court today.

Mamoepa warned that the department will leave no stone unturned to ensure the scourge of marriages of convenience is dealt a massive and decisive blow.

"Those implicated in such acts including their South African accomplices better be warned that they will indeed face the full might of the law."