Source: Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) published on this website Monday 22 June 2026 by Jill Powell
Five Albanian men have been charged by prosecutors for allegedly faking marriages to EU nationals so they could enter and live in the UK.
They are accused of using counterfeit licences to claim they were married to EU citizens who had a right to live in the UK under the EU Settlement Scheme. The scheme is how EU citizens and their families were allowed to stay in the UK after Brexit.
Lawyers in the Crown Prosecution Service confirmed the charges after suspects were arrested in Home Office raids across England and Wales on Wednesday (17 June).
Prosecutors allege that they obtained fake marriage certificates purporting to show they got married in Cyprus to EU nationals who had a right to reside in the UK.
Kastriot Hoxha, 31, Sina Ervin, 35, Kadri Sinamati, 28, and Valdet Qoshi, 40, are charged with fraud, and immigration offences. They have been remanded in custody and will appear at Sheffield Crown Court on 16 July for a plea hearing. Kastriot Hoxha has additionally been charged with possession of cannabis.
The fifth man, Denis Hani, 30, pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation and two other offences. He was charged on 17 June by CPS Direct, the CPS’s out of hours service, within four hours of receiving the evidence and pleaded guilty the following day at Birkenhead Magistrates’ Court. He was remanded in custody and will be sentenced on 16 July at Liverpool Crown Court.
Shaun Sigamoney from the Crown Prosecution Service said:
“Prosecutors have changed these men with fraud and immigration offences over alleged fake marriages so they could live in the UK. While one man has pleaded guilty that has no bearing on the case of the other four who are innocent until proven guilty. We remind all concerned that criminal proceedings are active and they have the right to a fair trial. It is vital that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.”
