Press Release: Fighting abuse of EU citizens’ right to free movement: Commission helps Member States tackle marriages of convenience

The European Commission on the 26 September 2014 published a handbook to help EU Member States take action against marriages of convenience between EU citizens and non-EU nationals in the context of EU law on free movement. The Commission prepared the handbook in close cooperation with Member States following requests by a number of EU countries for support in dealing with the phenomenon.

The aim of the handbook is to help national authorities effectively tackle marriages of convenience, while safeguarding the right of EU citizens to free movement. The guidelines published on the 26 September 2014 will also help to ensure that national authorities address this phenomenon - the extent of which varies significantly between Member States, - based on the same factual and legal criteria throughout the Union.

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