Article - 'Spouse-surfing' stings Canucks

By joining our community you will have the ability to post topics and access other forums reserved for members. Registration is quick, simple and absolutely free. Join our community today by clicking here.

Posted: Fri Apr 21, 2006 8:08 pm

http://www.torontosun.com/News/Canada/2006/04/21/1543678-sun.html

Young North African men are cruising the Internet for lonely marriage-minded Canadian women whom they shower with love in a bid to be sponsored here, visa officers say.

Diplomats at the Canadian Embassy in Tunisia have warned Ottawa of a "spouse-surfing" trend in a 2005-2006 program manager's report.

"Youths have taken to chat lines to find spouses from developed countries," a visa officer in Tunisia said in the report. "Cyber cafes and the Internet have spread over much of Algeria."

The report states visa officers told officials in Ottawa many of the web marriages are shams, with men from Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco showering the women with attention and praise to get to Canada.

Once here they bolt and the women are financially responsible for them for three years, Ottawa was told.

There "are often significant age differences," the report said. And while the majority of victims are women, some men are also getting caught up in the scam.

Emad, 35, of Windsor, who didn't want his last name used, said he e-mailed his now-separated wife for months before travelling to Iraq to meet and marry her last year.

"As soon as she arrived in Canada, she told me she wasn't committed to marriage," Emad said yesterday. "She told me she used me to come here."

"Sponsorship is a serious commitment and sponsors are expected to live up to their commitments," said immigration spokesman Melanie Carkner, adding applicants are advised of the seriousness of the commitment.

"These cases usually end up with the men getting a visa and the women receiving a broken heart," said immigration lawyer Richard Kurland, who obtained the report through an access to information request.

The report said most Algerians cannot obtain visas to travel to Canada since 35% of the 30.8 million people are under the age of 15 and the unemployment rate is estimated at 30%.

Posted: Mon Apr 24, 2006 10:19 pm

They need a law change in Canada, and quickly.

Posted: Tue Apr 25, 2006 2:00 pm

Yes, like instead of "the spouse is financially responsible for them for three years" the spouse "gets first crack and removing a vital portion of their anatomy before deportation".

Posted: Tue Apr 25, 2006 4:40 pm

this isn't anything new...

On two different singles sites there was always a nigerian in the live chat stirring it up with the 'green card' nonsense. I would proceed to blast them only to have other clueless members attack me for saying it like it is..
**WARNING - GREEN CARD ALERT!!** lol

Posted: Tue Apr 25, 2006 5:23 pm

I prefer "skeet surfing" Laughing

Article - 'Spouse-surfing' stings Canucks	View next topic View previous topic