Canada is one of those countries in the world that have been continuously battling to settle down many immigration related issues inside their boundaries. Marriages of convenience are one of those issues that Canada is trying to eliminate from the country. Well, these are the marriages that are performed to obtain citizenship in a country. The North American country has been witnessing many instances of such marriages.

Earlier this year, the immigration department of Canada indicated that it may become harder on people who are engaged in marriages of convenience. From time to time the country’s immigration system has been alarmed with some instances of such marriages, however, the department is not able to weed out these practices.

It was in the year 2007, when the Canadian immigration department was alarmed with the issue of marriages of convenience with growing numbers of complaints from people who were victims of this practice. It was found that foreign nationals got married with Canadians, but the latter were later paid to step out of the marriage once the former have arrived Canada.

Of late the Canadian Immigration Minister has started attending town hall events in many cities across the country to listen to the victims. The immigration department has also launched an online survey in relation to marriages of convenience. The Immigration Minister made it clear that Canada is welcoming towards legal and genuine people, or more precisely authentic couples, but the country is not nice to those who take refuge to illegal practices to make the country their home.

The country’s immigration department reported that its overseas posts received about 40,000 spousal sponsorships to Canada in 2010. Out of the total a good 18 percent were refused, since they were of marriages of convenience. The Canadian government was supposed to make changes to its immigration policy, however, it is not yet confirmed whether they are doing it in the near future or not. But, the country’s immigration department was clear of one thing that it would refuse citizenship to people on two basis, one, if the relationship is unethical; and secondly, if it is based on getting immigration status, that is marriages of convenience.