Lebanese woman remains in Australia after arranged marriage

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Created on Wednesday, 04 July 2012 14:00

Written by Editorial staff

A woman from Lebanon who entered into an arranged marriage with an Australian citizen has been told she can stay in the country by the Migration Review Tribunal.

Ghada Moussa, 46, married 55-year-old Adelaide resident Habib Youseff who had migrated to Australia himself in 1977.

The tribunal acknowledged that she had opted for an arranged marriage to avoid the need to obtain immigration visas, but still believed she should be able to remain in Australia.

It is alleged that Mr Youseff was paid $20,000 to marry Ms Moussa as they barely knew each other.

Ms Moussa has originally applied for a migration visa, although this was rejected by the authorities after complaints were made that the marriage was not genuine and was motivated by her desire to live with relatives in Australia.

The tribunal has recommended that Ms Moussa should be granted a marriage visa and believes her relationship is valid, even if it was motivated by a desire to move to Australia.

This is in spite of concerns that a number of her answers during the hearing may have been rehearsed.

The ruling stated: "It is not necessarily inconsistent with a genuine marriage relationship that it was entered into by one of the parties with a view to material benefit or advancement, such as to achieve a particular migration outcome.

"A person can have an arranged marriage and still be in a genuine relationship, irrespective of whether one of the reasons to marry was to come to Australia."

The ruling adds that the real issue at hand is whether or not the relationship is genuine and continuing.

Ms Moussa will therefore remain in Australia and assist Mr Youseff in caring for his disabled son - she is also planning to learn English and find a job.

In recent days, the Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee recommended that a minimum age limit of 18 should be imposed on marriage visas to help eradicate human trafficking and arranged marriage.

Senator Michaelia Cash, a member of the committee, said that support needs to be enhanced for migrant women moving to Australia who have been the victim of these misdemeanours. 

Similar age restrictions have proved a success in other countries, she explained, so the group believes the system should be implemented in Australia as well.

Concerns had been raised that a restriction may increase documentation fraud for migration visas, which the committee believes could easily be addressed.