---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Sham marriages have been widespread…"
description: "\"Sham marriages have been widespread; people have been allowed to settle in Britain without being able to speak English; and there have not been rules i..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/045/theresa-may-2801_able_sham-marriages-have-been-widespread-peop_95762.jpg"
---

#  Sham marriages have been widespread; people have been…

![“Sham marriages have been widespread; people have been allowed to settle in Britain without being able to speak English; and there have not been rules in place to stop migrants becoming a burden on the taxpayer. We are changing all of that.” quote by Theresa May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/045/theresa-may-2801_able_sham-marriages-have-been-widespread-peop_95762.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/045/theresa-may-2801_able_sham-marriages-have-been-widespread-peop_95762.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/045/theresa-may-2801_able_sham-marriages-have-been-widespread-peop_95762.jpg)

> “Sham marriages have been widespread; people have been allowed to settle in Britain without being able to speak English; and there have not been rules in place to stop migrants becoming a burden on the taxpayer. We are changing all of that.”

[Theresa May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theresa-may/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The speaker claims that lax immigration controls have allowed people to settle without language proficiency and become fiscal burdens, and asserts that policy will now tighten these loopholes.

**In simple terms:** Tightening immigration rules

Key Takeaway

Policy shift to stricter immigration control

Themes

immigration policy language proficiency taxpayer burden political rhetoric national identity

Mood

defensive determined

Type

political statement policy claim

When to use this quote

- government reform debates
- public discourse on immigration
- legislative hearings

Key Concepts

settlement criteria regulatory enforcement

Practical Applications

- drafting stricter visa requirements
- public communication campaigns

Questions to Reflect On

- What evidence supports the claim of widespread abuse?
- How might stricter rules affect legitimate migrants?

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Britain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/britain/) [Burden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/burden/) [Marriage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marriage/) [Migrants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/migrants/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Taxpayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taxpayers/)

## Related quotes

> [Gays (homosexuals) usually bring up the argument about all the straight couples living in 'sham' marriages, but I see no point in dragging the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-coulter/gays-homosexuals-usually-bring-up-the-argument-about-all-the-straight/)

[Ann Coulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-coulter/)

> [We are seeing, we have seen in the last figures a significant drop in the number of net migrants coming into the United Kingdom.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theresa-may/we-are-seeing-we-have-seen-in-the-last-figures-a-significant-drop-in/)

[Theresa May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theresa-may/)

> [The U.K. needs a system for family migration underpinned by three simple principles. One: that those who come here should do so on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theresa-may/the-u-k-needs-a-system-for-family-migration-underpinned-by-three/)

[Theresa May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theresa-may/)

> [You only have to look at London, where almost half of all primary school children speak English as a second language, to see the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theresa-may/you-only-have-to-look-at-london-where-almost-half-of-all-primary/)

[Theresa May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theresa-may/)

> [If you can speak English, and you can get a place on a proper course at a proper university, you can come to study…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theresa-may/if-you-can-speak-english-and-you-can-get-a-place-on-a-proper-course/)

[Theresa May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theresa-may/)

> [The library (in the migrant community) I grew up in was my only link to the outside world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-valdez/the-library-in-the-migrant-community-i-grew-up-in-was-my-only-link-to/)

[Luis Valdez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luis-valdez/)

> [“These are immigrant times And the lines are long, The signs for jobs few, The songs sadder, the air meaner. Everyone is hungry. Everyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-r-os/these-are-immigrant-times-and-the-lines-are-long-the-signs-for-jobs/)

Alberto Ríos

> [When I left home after graduating high school, I left as a migrant agricultural worker with a Modern Library edition of Plato in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-willard/when-i-left-home-after-graduating-high-school-i-left-as-a-migrant/)

[Dallas Willard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-willard/)

> [People are talking about immigration like it is a disease. In fact migrants pay more in than they get out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-kendall/people-are-talking-about-immigration-like-it-is-a-disease-in-fact/)

[Liz Kendall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-kendall/)

> [“Many of the people who left the South never exactly sat their children down to tell them these things, tell them what happened and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-wilkerson/many-of-the-people-who-left-the-south-never-exactly-sat-their/)

[Isabel Wilkerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-wilkerson/)

> [The influx of migrants must be stopped.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marine-le-pen/the-influx-of-migrants-must-be-stopped/)

[Marine Le Pen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marine-le-pen/)

> [In Italy there are 5 million legal migrants. They're integrated, and they're welcome. The problem of the Muslim presence is increasingly worrying. There are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matteo-salvini/in-italy-there-are-5-million-legal-migrants-they-re-integrated-and/)

[Matteo Salvini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matteo-salvini/)

> [I have a very powerful sense of place, but I have a very powerful sense of being a migrant, so it's both. It seems…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/i-have-a-very-powerful-sense-of-place-but-i-have-a-very-powerful/)

[Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/)

> [The cars of the migrant people crawled out of the side roads onto the great cross-country highway, and they took the migrant way to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/the-cars-of-the-migrant-people-crawled-out-of-the-side-roads-onto-the/)

[John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/)

> [I want to thank the Greek people publicly for their humanitarian response to the crisis of so many migrants and refugees seeking safety in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-want-to-thank-the-greek-people-publicly-for-their-humanitarian/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

## More by Theresa May

> [I think that probably in some areas the Labour message about some of the things that they said we were going to do -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theresa-may/i-think-that-probably-in-some-areas-the-labour-message-about-some-of/)

[Theresa May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theresa-may/)

> [There's much more we can be doing in Parliament, we could be giving more power back to people at local government level, through local…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theresa-may/there-s-much-more-we-can-be-doing-in-parliament-we-could-be-giving/)

[Theresa May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theresa-may/)

> [Nobody can guarantee the real terms per pupil funding increase. In the Labour party's manifesto we know the figures don't add up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theresa-may/nobody-can-guarantee-the-real-terms-per-pupil-funding-increase-in-the/)

[Theresa May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theresa-may/)

> [Like Indiana Jones, I don't like snakes - though that might lead some to ask why I'm in politics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theresa-may/like-indiana-jones-i-don-t-like-snakes-though-that-might-lead-some-to/)

[Theresa May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theresa-may/)

> [On gay adoption I have changed my mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theresa-may/on-gay-adoption-i-have-changed-my-mind/)

[Theresa May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theresa-may/)

> [The aim is to create here in Britain a really hostile environment for illegal migration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theresa-may/the-aim-is-to-create-here-in-britain-a-really-hostile-environment-for/)

[Theresa May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theresa-may/)

> [Look, we constantly live looking at the issue of the threat of terrorism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theresa-may/look-we-constantly-live-looking-at-the-issue-of-the-threat-of/)

[Theresa May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theresa-may/)

> [For voters what matters is what government actually delivers for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theresa-may/for-voters-what-matters-is-what-government-actually-delivers-for-them/)

[Theresa May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theresa-may/)

> [I want to put the interests of ordinary working people right up there, center stage. Those people who - you know, they're working all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theresa-may/i-want-to-put-the-interests-of-ordinary-working-people-right-up-there/)

[Theresa May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theresa-may/)

> [ What's going to be important is having the opportunity to actually sit down with President \[Donald\] Trump and talk to him face to face,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theresa-may/what-s-going-to-be-important-is-having-the-opportunity-to-actually/)

[Theresa May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theresa-may/)

> [Obviously, given the objective that we have, what I would hope is that people would be able to see that actually we had reduced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theresa-may/obviously-given-the-objective-that-we-have-what-i-would-hope-is-that/)

[Theresa May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theresa-may/)

> [Britain is an open and tolerant country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theresa-may/britain-is-an-open-and-tolerant-country/)

[Theresa May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theresa-may/)

> [I was looking at a photograph of the 1997 election campaign yesterday, and I thought: 'My God. Did I really have that hairstyle? And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theresa-may/i-was-looking-at-a-photograph-of-the-1997-election-campaign-yesterday/)

[Theresa May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theresa-may/)

> [People will be able to raise their concerns: what are local officers doing about the drug dealing in the local park? What's happening about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theresa-may/people-will-be-able-to-raise-their-concerns-what-are-local-officers/)

[Theresa May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theresa-may/)

> [What I'm clear about is that we have an opportunity through this early meeting with Donald Trump to start that process of building on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theresa-may/what-i-m-clear-about-is-that-we-have-an-opportunity-through-this/)

[Theresa May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theresa-may/)

[Explore all 149 Theresa May quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theresa-may/)

## More Able quotes

> [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/)

[Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/)

> [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/)

[Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/)

> [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/)

[Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/)

> [In the '80s, the way radio was programmed, if you didn't have a hit record you weren't going to be able to make any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huey-lewis/in-the-80s-the-way-radio-was-programmed-if-you-didn-t-have-a-hit/)

[Huey Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huey-lewis/)

> [I think I've had the longest career of strength, focus, and still being able to sell records. I think I'm that guy. I'm still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/i-think-i-ve-had-the-longest-career-of-strength-focus-and-still-being/)

[Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/)

> [I have that need in me, I want everyone to love me, but I'm embarrassed by that need, so I wanted to cover it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-have-that-need-in-me-i-want-everyone-to-love-me-but-i-m-embarrassed/)

[Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/)

> [Thinking about the things that happened, I don't know any other ball player would could have done what he (Jackie Robinson) did. To be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pee-wee-reese/thinking-about-the-things-that-happened-i-don-t-know-any-other-ball/)

[Pee Wee Reese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pee-wee-reese/)

> [I wanted to remember in order to be able to return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/i-wanted-to-remember-in-order-to-be-able-to-return/)

[Anais Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/)

> [Government schools, with your tax money, now discourage the teaching of multiplication tables by rote memorization but teach reading by the 'look-and-say' method which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-perry/government-schools-with-your-tax-money-now-discourage-the-teaching-of/)

Greg Perry

> [I don't know if I would qualify as mainstream. I think I have managed to function pretty successfully on the fringes of the music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-metheny/i-don-t-know-if-i-would-qualify-as-mainstream-i-think-i-have-managed/)

[Pat Metheny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-metheny/)

> [What we're supposed to do as actors is be able to portray real human beings and emotions. And if you grow up in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-browning/what-we-re-supposed-to-do-as-actors-is-be-able-to-portray-real-human/)

[Emily Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-browning/)

> [The reason that Apple is able to create products like iPad is because we always try to be at the intersection of technology and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-reason-that-apple-is-able-to-create-products-like-ipad-is-because/)

[Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/)

> [It was an important period for us, because even though we weren't a "punk band", and what became a model for a punk band,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mallinder/it-was-an-important-period-for-us-because-even-though-we-weren-t-a/)

[Stephen Mallinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mallinder/)

> [- You look fine. - Right. I look fine. Except I don't, said Zora, tugging sadly at her man's nightshirt. This was why Kiki…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/you-look-fine-right-i-look-fine-except-i-don-t-said-zora-tugging/)

[Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/)

> [There is a way to be a woman, ask for what we deserve and be able to negotiate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracee-ellis-ross/there-is-a-way-to-be-a-woman-ask-for-what-we-deserve-and-be-able-to/)

[Tracee Ellis Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracee-ellis-ross/)

Browse all 17,257 Able quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Sham marriages have been widespread; people have been allowed to settle in Britain without being able to speak English; and there have not been rules in place to stop migrants becoming a burden on the taxpayer. We are changing all of that.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Theresa May"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theresa-may/sham-marriages-have-been-widespread-people-have-been-allowed-to/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Able"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theresa-may/sham-marriages-have-been-widespread-people-have-been-allowed-to/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/045/theresa-may-2801_able_sham-marriages-have-been-widespread-peop_95762.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/045/theresa-may-2801_able_sham-marriages-have-been-widespread-peop_95762.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/045/theresa-may-2801_able_sham-marriages-have-been-widespread-peop_95762.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Sham marriages have been widespread; people have been allowed to settle in Britain without being able to…” — Theresa May",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Theresa May",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theresa-may/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Sham marriages have been widespread; people...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theresa-may/sham-marriages-have-been-widespread-people-have-been-allowed-to/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theresa-may/sham-marriages-have-been-widespread-people-have-been-allowed-to/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
