Maryland Seeks Background Checks for Mail-Order Bride Suitors
The Washington Examiner reports that a dozen House delegates sponsored a bill that would require mail-order bride agencies to conduct background checks on prospective clients. According to an investigation by the Government Accountability Office, “overseas brides weren’t getting all the information about their prospective suitors as required under federal law.”
“The federal International Marriage Broker Regulation Act of 2005 requires marriage agencies to disclose to potential brides the criminal record of interested clients before they communicate or meet.”
Although this Act serves as a way to protect would-be foreign brides it does not guarantee that each suitor has been fully checked out. One owner of a mail-order bride agency says the law only requires clients to self-report their criminal histories. This loophole makes the system vulnerable to abuse and potential harm to foreign brides who may be matched with someone with a criminal history.
I could certainly see how these agencies can potentially become liable of wrongdoing if one of their clients commits an offense against his mail-order bride. These agencies might as well get ahead of the game by partnering with a reliable background screening company.
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