Criminal organizations are taking advantage of migrants who, having illegally entered Greece, are on the lookout for ways to obtain a residency permit. These crime rings specialize in targeting unemployed or poor Greek women, who are given 5,000-7,000 euros in order to get married to illegal migrants and help them obtain a green card.
According to recent reports, Greece has become the ideal nation in which to perform fake weddings. Prices reportedly range between 5,000 and 7,000 euros. These fake weddings are designed to offer migrants a permanent place of residence and a wife. In turn, the criminal organizations demand a large sum from migrants, a portion of which is given to the brides before the wedding. The marriage is terminated once the migrants have obtained their green cards.
Nearly one year ago, authorities in Thessaloniki uncovered a criminal organization which had rigged together an elaborate scheme designed to profit off false marriages. The organization arranged 68 weddings, all of which ensured Greek citizenship to foreign women. Greek police found evidence of potentially 79 additional arranged marriages.
In addition to the criminal organizations, authorities have found that many migrants arrange deals with Greek brides on their own initiatives. After the weddings, the fake couples do not live together and have no romantic relations.
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