Is this a legitimate path for staying in UK?

[t_kaay]

So, I'm posting this question as I've heard this story on more than one occasion and it seems improbable to me.

Over the past 2 years or so, I've heard at least 3 distant relatives of mine and aquaintances tell me of the following scenario. When I heard it the first time, I didn't pay much notice as I put it down to "chinese whispers" and lies. However, I have now heard the same story from different families regarding different couples:

A British subject (male or female) goes to Pakistan and gets engaged/married. A subsequent fiance/settlement visa is applied for and obtained successfully, through the normal legitimate channels. Once the other partner arrives in the UK, differences emerge within the couple and they don't get along for whatever reason. (These are not pre-planned, there's just a legitimate breakdown in the relationship). In all the cases I've heard about, the breakdown has happened within months of arriving, in one case within 3 days! The Pakistani partner leaves the marital home. Now this is where the story gets interesting. Apparently, the Pakistani partner, be it a male or female, can go and make a report to the police (even if its a false report), that they were subjected to physical abuse and were assualted by the other party or their family. Apparently this situation of being abused or assualted then leads them to be able to apply for stay in the UK without the support or approval of their "sponsor". It seems this route, if it even exists, is open to huge fraud and I'm very confused as to how it is happening. Like I said, I didn't really believe it but I've heard at least 3 different stories of different families. One of which the guy has been here for a number of years now and even has a British passport now. In all cases, NO children were involved.

Any thoughts? Thanks

[AmazonianX]

So, I'm posting this question as I've heard this story on more than one occasion and it seems improbable to me.

Over the past 2 years or so, I've heard at least 3 distant relatives of mine and aquaintances tell me of the following scenario. When I heard it the first time, I didn't pay much notice as I put it down to "chinese whispers" and lies. However, I have now heard the same story from different families regarding different couples:

A British subject (male or female) goes to Pakistan and gets engaged/married. A subsequent fiance/settlement visa is applied for and obtained successfully, through the normal legitimate channels. Once the other partner arrives in the UK, differences emerge within the couple and they don't get along for whatever reason. (These are not pre-planned, there's just a legitimate breakdown in the relationship). In all the cases I've heard about, the breakdown has happened within months of arriving, in one case within 3 days! The Pakistani partner leaves the marital home. Now this is where the story gets interesting. Apparently, the Pakistani partner, be it a male or female, can go and make a report to the police (even if its a false report), that they were subjected to physical abuse and were assualted by the other party or their family. Apparently this situation of being abused or assualted then leads them to be able to apply for stay in the UK without the support or approval of their "sponsor". It seems this route, if it even exists, is open to huge fraud and I'm very confused as to how it is happening. Like I said, I didn't really believe it but I've heard at least 3 different stories of different families. One of which the guy has been here for a number of years now and even has a British passport now. In all cases, NO children were involved.

Any thoughts? Thanks

Yes, a route like this exist. It is the Domestic Violence (DV) route but it is not as you have painted it. For it to work, simply reporting to the police does not automatically engage the route. There has to be evidence to support whichever form of abuse i.e. emotional/physical/mental/verbal that is being claimed as where proven it could involve prosecution of the abuse perpetrator.
As you noted, it is open to fraud (as all routes are in one way or the other).
I will leave it to victims (on both sides), MODs and forum members who has experienced or encountered such to discuss further.

[seagul]

So, I'm posting this question as I've heard this story on more than one occasion and it seems improbable to me.

Over the past 2 years or so, I've heard at least 3 distant relatives of mine and aquaintances tell me of the following scenario. When I heard it the first time, I didn't pay much notice as I put it down to "chinese whispers" and lies. However, I have now heard the same story from different families regarding different couples:

A British subject (male or female) goes to Pakistan and gets engaged/married. A subsequent fiance/settlement visa is applied for and obtained successfully, through the normal legitimate channels. Once the other partner arrives in the UK, differences emerge within the couple and they don't get along for whatever reason. (These are not pre-planned, there's just a legitimate breakdown in the relationship). In all the cases I've heard about, the breakdown has happened within months of arriving, in one case within 3 days! The Pakistani partner leaves the marital home. Now this is where the story gets interesting. Apparently, the Pakistani partner, be it a male or female, can go and make a report to the police (even if its a false report), that they were subjected to physical abuse and were assualted by the other party or their family. Apparently this situation of being abused or assualted then leads them to be able to apply for stay in the UK without the support or approval of their "sponsor". It seems this route, if it even exists, is open to huge fraud and I'm very confused as to how it is happening. Like I said, I didn't really believe it but I've heard at least 3 different stories of different families. One of which the guy has been here for a number of years now and even has a British passport now. In all cases, NO children were involved.

Any thoughts? Thanks

From hindsight similar stories are available in abundance at several anonymous websites especially embedded with chatting feature. Aside this, similar incidence do occur but very scarcely but the good experiences are seldomly shared. But as a precaution before importing someone into UK a reasonable amount of time be spent in her/his native country without being obsessed with as the rules/changing might be changing by doing so.

[t_kaay]

Thanks for both replies. After learning the title of the route (DV), I've searched and found the route exists. The anecdotal stories I've heard have definately abused the system as I'm aware of the actual situations and I'm sure there's many more out there doing the same. Having said that, I understand that it's a valid issue and rightly catered for, as long as its a genuine case.

[Zerubbabel]

So, I'm posting this question as I've heard this story on more than one occasion and it seems improbable to me.

Over the past 2 years or so, I've heard at least 3 distant relatives of mine and aquaintances tell me of the following scenario. When I heard it the first time, I didn't pay much notice as I put it down to "chinese whispers" and lies. However, I have now heard the same story from different families regarding different couples:

A British subject (male or female) goes to Pakistan and gets engaged/married. A subsequent fiance/settlement visa is applied for and obtained successfully, through the normal legitimate channels. Once the other partner arrives in the UK, differences emerge within the couple and they don't get along for whatever reason. (These are not pre-planned, there's just a legitimate breakdown in the relationship). In all the cases I've heard about, the breakdown has happened within months of arriving, in one case within 3 days! The Pakistani partner leaves the marital home. Now this is where the story gets interesting. Apparently, the Pakistani partner, be it a male or female, can go and make a report to the police (even if its a false report), that they were subjected to physical abuse and were assualted by the other party or their family. Apparently this situation of being abused or assualted then leads them to be able to apply for stay in the UK without the support or approval of their "sponsor". It seems this route, if it even exists, is open to huge fraud and I'm very confused as to how it is happening. Like I said, I didn't really believe it but I've heard at least 3 different stories of different families. One of which the guy has been here for a number of years now and even has a British passport now. In all cases, NO children were involved.

Any thoughts? Thanks

Yes and No.

I lived in many places in Europe. Some countries don't offer protection for immigration status in case of abuse by the sponsor. For that reason, abused persons would submit and don't report the abuser. The abusers know that and use it as a factor for blackmail. I have seen a case where the abuser was beating his wife and kids and telling them: "If you are not happy, go and report me. I will send you back to your country by next flight". In another case, an African lady was married to an European guy and he was prostituting her and taking the money.

We don't want that in the UK.

That's why, in case of demonstrable and serious abuse, the victim is protected and the immigration status is preserved.

But this route has been itself "abused". No pun intended.

Now, it still exists, but the victim need to provide proof such as testimonies, police reports, medical reports... And honestly, in most cases of horrendous abuse, there are proofs such as the victim going all the time to A&E for various "domestic accidents", police being called by neighbours, friends and family aware about the abuse... etc. We are talking about something that goes beyond a mere argument about a remote control.

So I don't believe these histories about "it happened in 3 days" and similar.

[CULLINAN]

I would say EVERY route in UK is abused by some. There are good and bad people everywhere not only in UK.

While DV route may protect the “real” victims, many have abused the route and got away with it.

Having said that, just to name a couple, I have seen applicants on Tier 1 Entrepreneur visa but working in a pizza shop and got away with it.
Similarly, I have seen applicants having sham marriages and settled eventually etc.

So the abuse is there in every possible route. Loopholes exist, some are just lucky enough to never get caught!

But the abuse of any route makes it harder for the legitimate applicants, as rules are made stricter eventually and the legitimate applicants suffer. Rules are made stricter but still some will always abuse the route and get away with it.