Warrant issued for the arrest of Chinese woman for immigration charges

A BENCH warrant has been issued on Tuesday for the arrest of a Chinese woman who failed to appear in court on immigration charges over a sham marriage.

Xiu Hua Wei, 50, took part in a false ceremony in the Republic of Ireland in October 2008, according to the Home Office.

Two men were jailed at Belfast Crown Court on Tuesday in relation to the false marriage.

Thaddeus Alexander Jusick, from Poland but with an address in south Belfast, was jailed for six months for assisting unlawful immigration.

The 62-year-old has an outstanding European arrest warrant on him for deception charges.

He will be deported to Poland after his sentence is served in Northern Ireland.

Restaurateur Kwok Yan Ho, 47, was also sentenced to six months in jail for the same offence – assisting unlawful immigration.

Ho, from Glenavy, Co Antrim and who is a British citizen, had provided documents falsely showing that Wei worked for him.

A sham marriage or civil partnership typically occurs when a non-European national marries someone from the European Economic Area as a means of attempting to gain long-term residency and the right to work and claim benefits in the UK.

Andrea Anderson, for the Home Office, said the agency is cracking down on sham marriages and those who seek to cheat immigration laws face prosecution and conviction.

“This case shows how people are prepared to enter into a marriage with someone they barely know to help them cheat the immigration system.

“Immigration crime is not victimless. The gangs involved often have links to serious organised crime. We will continue to make life as tough as possible for those who seek to abuse the system.”