From The Toronto Sun
Immigration: ‘Child bride’ loophole can’t be closed
By TOM GODFREY, QMI Agency
Last Updated: March 11, 2010 4:49pm
Federal immigration officials say there’s little they can do to stop “child brides” from being sponsored into Canada by much older husbands who wed them in arranged marriages abroad.Top immigration officials in Canada and Pakistan say all they can do is reject the sponsorships of husbands trying to bring their child-brides to Canada. The men have to reapply when the bride turns 16.
The marriages are permitted under Sharia Law.
Muslim men, who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents, return to their homeland to wed a “child bride” in an arranged marriage in which a dowry is given to the girl’s parents.
Officials said some of the brides can be 14 years old or younger and many are forced to marry. The practice occurs in a host of countries including Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan and Lebanon.
In classified documents, Canadian visa officer Steve Bulmer said he refused to allow one Pakistani man to sponsor his 15-year-old bride in August 2009.
“I can find no section (of law) that states the marriage is ‘invalid’ or ‘void,'” Bulmer wrote in e-mails obtained by lawyer Richard Kurland under Access of Information. “I am afraid the age does not invalidate the marriage even if it is illegal to marry.”
Abdul Hameed, of the Canadian embassy in Islamabad, said child marriages are not valid in Canada.
“A child marriage is punishable but it does not render the marriage invalid,” Hameed said. “We are refusing such application on grounds the marriage will not be valid as per Canadian laws.” William Hawke, of immigration’s Permanent Resident Unit, said the young brides won’t be allowed in Canada.
“Sponsorship applications submitted for a spouse under 16 will be refused,” Hawke said. “Once an underage spouse turns 16 they are a member of the family class” and can be sponsored.
He said the application is rejected if a spouse turns 16 during processing. Kurland said there’s little that can be done to stop Canadians from marrying child brides.
“A 15-year-old bride doesn’t void a marriage,” Kurland said on Thursday.
“The application is turned down and the person can reapply when his bride turns 16.”
He said the practice has been going on for years and “is a concrete loophole that can’t be fixed.”
Immigration officials quoting an Afghanistan Law of Marriages said in some countries it is “customary for young females to wed men considerably older, especially if the man is in a position of financial or social power.”
According to the law, it is not uncommon for marriages between first cousins or extended family members.
These child marriages are sick in my opinion and should not be allowed in countries of the free, because they go against everything freedom stands for, not only is the bride stripped of her rights to speak out against not being able to choose her husband but, it is also against the laws of free countries to marry children. I beg you to keep your countries laws intact and not cave in on this subject, my father was muslim and growing up my mother was treated like a dog with no rights and no freedoms. It wasn’t until i was old enough to defend my mother as a human being against my father was i able to protect her and free her, i care not where my father is today and i’m glad he is gone. My mother smiles these days, smiles i rarely saw when i was a child and i know in my heart i freed her and protected laws that are sacred and that i hold dear to my heart. let islam do what it wants in it’s own country but, do not let them change your country. It is in your hands and if you do not uphold your countries freedoms and protect your peoples rights you will look back in horror at what comes and generations will be robbed of freedoms that many have given their lives to protect. please do not take these issues lightly to condemn them is to comden everyone you know and love.
~Mohamed-USA
Typical spineless reaction from the establishment. Bet if a white canadian went abroad, married a 14 year old and had sex with her he’d be arrested as soon as he entered the country. If he claimed out loud that it was his right/religion, to avail himself of some underage pussy, the feminists and such like would be out in the streets screaming for blood.
But if its an ethnic minority, well what do we get but silence, and now, there’s nothing that can be done.
It made me think, in the uk there are laws against sex tourism, meant to punish men who go abroad to countries for the purpose of having sex with underage children.
Gary Glitter being a prime example.
I’ve never heard it being evoked against ethnic minority/muslim/hindu/sikh sex tourists though, I wonder why not?
Of course there’s something they can do. Fix their laws and arrest the pedophiles.
you guys are the pedophiles hahahah christian and catholic chesters/molesters. And this other fool Mohammed from USA, change your name to chester lame foo.
mohammed ali khan; why distinguish? Anyone who abuses children is sick or is that beyond your level of comprehension? For once it would be nice to have a comment posted by a Muslim who doesn’t resort to name calling and idiocy.
With the exception of polygamy,all this was standard practice in the Christian West 5 to 8 generations ago.
@Bill, isn’t it wonderful we’ve come so far?
Whoever heard of a “concrete loophole that can’t be fixed”? Bureaucratic babble.