Marriage of convenience

Europol's Operational Task Force (OTF) in Limassol, Cyprus uncovered a criminal network orchestrating sham marriages in Cyprus for irregular migration into the EU on Monday.

The investigation suggested that the criminal network was also involved in human trafficking and money laundering activities, as well as forcing victims into bogus marriages for immigration purposes.

Cyprus is preparing new legislation to curb the large number of sham marriages that are being conducted to help individuals obtain residency permits and potentially easier access to the European Union, the country's interior minister said Wednesday.