MARRIAGES OF CONVENIENCE: A COMPARATIVE STUDY RULES AND PRACTICES IN NORWAY, SWEDEN, GERMANY, DENMARK AND THE NETHERLANDS Commissioned by the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) R-2010-053 MARRIAGES OF CONVENIENCE: A COMPARATIVE STUDY Document details Econ Report no. R-2010-053 Project no. 5Z090123.10 ISBN 978-82-8232-143-3 ISSN 0803-5113 Internal codes SAA/JPL/ahe/pil, EIW Report finish date 8. november 2010 Accessibility Public Contact details Oslo Econ Pöyry Pöyry Management Consulting (Norway) AS Post Box 9086 Grønland, N-0133 Oslo Norway Visiting address: Schweigaards gate 15B, N-0191 Oslo Telephone: +47 45 40 50 00 Telefax: +47 22 42 00 40 e-mail: [email protected] Stavanger Econ Pöyry Pöyry Management Consulting (Norway) AS Kirkegaten 3 N-4006 Stavanger Norway Telephone: +47 45 40 50 00 Telefax: +47 51 89 09 55 e-mail: [email protected] http://www.econ.no Enterprise No: NO-960 416 090 Copyright © 2010 Pöyry Management Consulting (Norway) AS R-2010-053 MARRIAGES OF CONVENIENCE: A COMPARATIVE STUDY R-2010-053 MARRIAGES OF CONVENIENCE: A COMPARATIVE STUDY TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS ..................................................................................................... 5 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ................................................................................................. I FOREWORD ...................................................................................................................... III EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................................................... 1 1 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................... 7 1.1 Key objectives of the study ............................................................................. 7 1.2 Context and relevance ................................................................................... 7 1.2.1 Family reunification .................................................................................... 7 1.2.2 Marriages of convenience.......................................................................... 8 1.3 Clarifications and definitions ........................................................................... 9 1.4 Process and methodology .............................................................................. 9 1.5 Structure of the report .................................................................................. 10 2 ESTIMATING THE MAGNITUDE OF MARRIAGES OF CONVENIENCE IN NORWAY ................................................................................................................ 11 2.1 Mixed marriages as a basis for family reunification ...................................... 11 2.2 Administrative statistics from UDI ................................................................. 12 2.3 Longitudinal analysis of individual trajectories ............................................. 17 3 LEGAL AND REGULATORY FRAMEWORK ......................................................... 21 3.1 International practice and dilemmas ............................................................. 21 3.1.1 Assessing the degree of convenience ..................................................... 21 3.1.2 Reconciling diverse public policy objectives ............................................ 21 3.1.3 International and EU law: a binding framework ....................................... 22 3.1.4 Human rights in the context of marriages of convenience ....................... 24 3.2 Regulatory framework in Norway ................................................................. 25 3.2.1 Family reunification .................................................................................. 25 3.2.2 What defines a marriage of convenience? .............................................. 26 3.2.3 Requirements for family reunification on the basis of marriage ............... 28 3.2.4 The burden and level of proof .................................................................. 30 3.2.5 Sanctions ................................................................................................. 30 3.2.6 Examples from the case law .................................................................... 31 4 PROCESS AND PRACTICE IN NORWAY ............................................................. 33 4.1 Increased attention since 2007 .................................................................... 33 R-2010-053 MARRIAGES OF CONVENIENCE: A COMPARATIVE STUDY 4.2 From application to decision ......................................................................... 34 4.3 The actors involved ...................................................................................... 36 4.3.1 Embassies ............................................................................................... 37 4.3.2 Local police .............................................................................................. 38 4.3.3 UDI .......................................................................................................... 40 4.3.4 UNE ......................................................................................................... 42 4.3.5 Enforcing decisions (UDI / police practices) ............................................ 43 4.4 Cooperation between entities ....................................................................... 43 5 COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS ................................................................................... 47 5.1 Estimating the magnitude of marriages of convenience ............................... 47 5.2 Public attention to the issue ......................................................................... 49 5.3 Differences in legal and administrative procedures ...................................... 50 5.3.1 Similarities within a common EU framework ............................................ 50 5.3.2 Definitions ................................................................................................ 50 5.3.3 Requirements of the spouses .................................................................. 51 5.3.4 What does it take to obtain permanent residence through family reunification? ........................................................................................... 52 5.4 Process ........................................................................................................ 53 5.4.1 Criteria assessed in the consideration of marriage of convenience ........ 53 5.4.2 Review and methods ............................................................................... 54 5.4.3 What does it take to reject? ..................................................................... 55 5.4.4 Who are the actors involved? .................................................................. 55 5.4.5 Sanctions ................................................................................................. 56 5.5 Summary of findings ..................................................................................... 57 5.5.1 Similarities across countries .................................................................... 57 5.5.2 Differences across countries ................................................................... 58 ANNEX 1: GERMANY CASE STUDY .............................................................................. 63 Trends and attention to the concept ........................................................................ 63 Key facts and figures ............................................................................................... 64 Legal and regulatory framework .............................................................................. 65 Institutional and administrative set-up...................................................................... 71 Process and practice ............................................................................................... 75 Implementation challenges ...................................................................................... 78 ANNEX 2: SWEDEN CASE STUDY ................................................................................ 79 Trends and attention to the concept ........................................................................ 79 Key facts and figures ............................................................................................... 79 R-2010-053 MARRIAGES OF CONVENIENCE: A COMPARATIVE STUDY Legal and regulatory framework .............................................................................. 80 Institutional and administrative set-up...................................................................... 81 Process and practice ............................................................................................... 83 Implementation challenges ...................................................................................... 85 ANNEX 3: DENMARK CASE STUDY .............................................................................. 87 Trends and attention to the concept ........................................................................ 87 Key facts and figures ............................................................................................... 87 Legal and regulatory framework .............................................................................. 88 Institutional and administrative set-up...................................................................... 91 Process and practice