Foreign nationals aiming to exploit the Church of England's marriage system to gain immigration advantage will be subject to greater scrutiny, thanks to new advice issued to clergy.

The Church of England's House of Bishops has issued the guidance to clamp down on bogus marriages.

Under the guidance, launched on Tuesday (12 April), clergy are advised not to offer to publish banns for any intended marriage involving a person from outside the European Economic Area (EEA).

Instead these couples must apply for a common licence in which they will be subject to greater scrutiny and have to swear affidavits.

It is hoped the crackdown will cut the number of sham marriages taking place in the Church.

In the past nine months, there have been 155 arrests made following investigations into sham marriages in churches and civil ceremonies.

The Rt Rev John Packer, Bishop of Ripon and Leeds, said: "The House of Bishops is clear that the office of holy matrimony must not be misused by those who have no intention of contracting a genuine marriage but merely a sham marriage.

"The purpose of this guidance and direction from the bishops to the clergy and to those responsible for the grant of common licences is, therefore, to prevent the contracting of sham marriages in the Church of England."

He added that while the Church of England "does not wish to stand in the way of any couple who wish to enter into a genuine marriage" and maintains that non-EEA nationals "might well wish to enter into genuine marriages", the clergy's duty was to protect the office of holy matrimony against misuse.

Clergy will also be briefed on sham marriages by the UK Border Agency (UKBA), which has backed the guidance.

Immigration minister Damian Green said: "The UKBA already works very closely with the Church not only to investigate and disrupt suspected sham weddings but also to provide advice and support. The new guidance being launched today by the Church of England is another step in the right direction in tackling these abuses."

The guidance also advises clergy to report couples who refuse to apply for the common licence and insist on having banns. But clergy must ask for evidence of the couple's right to the banns, such as a driving licence and verifiable address.

Any member of the clergy who feels they are being intimidated or pressured into performing a marriage is encouraged to report it to the police, the archdeacon and the diocesan legal officers.

Read the full guidance here.

Source: http://www.eauk.org/articles/church-of-england-sham-marriage-crackdown.cfm

Reprinted with permission from Evangelical Alliance UK