Denis Hani, a 30-year-old Albanian national, used a fraudulent marriage certificate to gain entry to the United Kingdom and secure employment for several years, a court has heard. Hani presented the false document when applying under the EU Settlement Scheme, deceiving authorities into granting him leave to remain.
Details of the Fraud
Laura Atherton, prosecuting, told Liverpool Crown Court that Hani submitted a Cypriot marriage certificate from 2019, claiming he was married to a Romanian spouse who had already been granted leave to remain in the UK. The certificate was accepted as sufficient evidence, allowing Hani to enter and work in the country. However, when the Home Office investigated, Cypriot authorities confirmed that the certificate's issue number did not match their records, revealing it to be fake.
Using the fraudulent document, Hani obtained employment at a painting and decorating business and later at a property management company. In the most recent financial year, he earned £24,349.20, paying taxes on his income. Judge David Swinnerton noted that Hani had performed his jobs well, stating, "We are not in an employment tribunal about the quality of your work. They got their money's worth out of you."
Impact on Immigration System
Judge Swinnerton emphasized that Hani's actions undermined the immigration system, a topic of "great concern across the political spectrum" and "great public debate." He said such fraud has a "detrimental effect on society where the immigration system is undermined by people using false documents."
Hani was arrested in June at his home on Cheviot Road, Fairfield. During interview, he claimed he could not recall when he applied for residency, said he was assisted by someone else, and did not know his purported "spouse." He had a previous conviction for using a fake Albanian driving licence.
Sentencing and Deportation
Hani pleaded guilty at Wirral Magistrates' Court last month to two counts of fraud by false representation and one count of obtaining leave to enter or remain in the UK by deceptive means. In mitigation, defence counsel Eiran Reilly argued that the fraud did not result in financial loss to anyone, as Hani worked and paid taxes. Reilly stated, "Mr Hani has purchased this false certificate, he is a customer. He is much lower down the scale. There is no evidence of his involvement in any wider fraud."
Reilly added that Hani wished to return to Albania "as soon as possible," prompting Judge Swinnerton to remark, "The defendant has a much more concrete idea of what he wants to happen than the Home Office." Sentencing Hani to 14 months in prison, the judge noted the significant planning involved in purchasing the fake certificate. Hani was told he would be deported after serving his sentence.
Broader Investigation
Hani is one of five Albanian men charged last month by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) following an investigation into fake marriages to EU nationals. The men were arrested after Home Office raids. Shaun Sigamoney from the CPS said, "While one man has pleaded guilty that has no bearing on the case of the other four who are innocent until proven guilty." The other four men, from the Sheffield and Doncaster areas, are alleged to have obtained fake Cypriot marriage certificates to EU nationals with residency rights.
