Immigration Officers Target ‘Sham Marriages’

Immigration officials and police have launched a series of dawn raids across the west of Scotland in the first crackdown on so-called sham marriages. They said West Africans have been arranging bogus marriages to British citizens to gain entry to the UK under false pretences.

Operation Warren was spearheaded by raids on homes in Cambuslang and Paisley at about 0600 BST on Friday. Several addresses in England have also been targeted.

More than 30 officers from the Border and Immigration Agency and Strathclyde Police took part in the raids. Similar raids were carried out in Thornton Heath in London and also at properties in Reading.