Last August, the Internal Security Bureau detained three persons who assisted third-country citizens, including through arranging sham marriages, to illegally obtain Latvia's residence permits, it is alleged.
Each person involved in the scheme had a specific role to perform - one acted as a bride, one was arranging sham marriages, and the third one, an official of the Citizenship and Migration Affairs Office, did the paperwork to give third-country nationals opportunity to legally reside in Latvia.
Entering into marriage with a citizen of Latvia is one way for a third-country citizen to become a resident of Latvia.
