Chinese men warned over bridal scams as marriage squeeze drives search for wives in Africa
A young Malagasy woman was stopped at Madagascar’s Ivato International Airport last month as she prepared to travel to China for a proposed marriage, according to local media reports citing police. She had reportedly been promised 10 million ariary (US$2,300) once she arrived and married a Chinese man. The case led police to investigate a suspected network involved in arranging similar marriages.…
Chinese men are being warned about bridal scams as they seek wives in Africa due to a growing "marriage squeeze" at home. These arrangements often involve a high "caili" payment by the groom-to-be and the expectation of owning a home and car. Women recruited as brides can face deception, coercion, and human trafficking. Four people were detained in Madagascar after police uncovered a suspected network involved in arranging similar marriages.
Several women may have already traveled to China through this network. The Chinese embassy in Malawi has warned citizens against trusting advertisements promoting "marriage by purchase" after several Chinese citizens fell victim to marriage scams overseas. In Malawi, the embassy warned of legal risks involving human trafficking and financial extortion.
Malawian police have also convicted Chinese men for human trafficking after they obtained marriage certificates without waiting the required 21 days. Ethel Moyo, a Malawian woman, was deceived into an arranged marriage with a Chinese man in China in 2023. Similar cases have been reported in Ethiopia and the Democratic Republic of Congo, where Chinese men may find marrying in Africa more affordable than through matchmaking networks in Southeast Asia.
Written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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