Andorra Civil Registry Proposes Separate Spouse Interviews to Prevent Fraudulent Marriages
Demòcrates group's amendment to Civil Registry Law mandates private interviews in high-risk cases to detect coercion, deception, or residency scams.
Key Points
- Separate private interviews for spouses in cases of documentary issues, complaints, or risks.
- Targets fraudulent, forced, or convenience marriages, including residency regularization.
- Demòcrates calls it a privacy-respecting safeguard; others seek clear regulations.
- Adds formal verification before approving civil unions.
The Civil Registry in Andorra could soon conduct separate interviews with prospective spouses to confirm the validity of civil marriages. This measure forms part of an amendment proposed by the Demòcrates group to the new Civil Registry Law, currently under debate.
Under the proposal, the registrar would have the authority to summon each partner individually for a private meeting before approving the union. The aim is to ensure compliance with legal requirements and detect any deception, coercion, or hidden motives. These interviews would become mandatory in specific cases outlined in forthcoming regulations, such as documentary inconsistencies, prior complaints, or signs of risk.
Proponents from Demòcrates describe the step as an additional safeguard in the pre-marriage process, designed to prevent fraudulent unions, forced marriages, convenience arrangements, or attempts to regularise residency status. They emphasise that it protects free and valid marriages without intruding on personal privacy.
Other parliamentary groups have stressed the need for clear, protective regulations to avoid discretionary application. If approved, the change would introduce a formal verification layer, akin to a pre-wedding check, potentially influencing couples' decisions before tying the knot.
Original Sources
This article was aggregated from the following Catalan-language sources: