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Singapore's leading women advocacy group, AWARE, wants more stringent checks on matchmaking agencies so that prospective foreign brides of local men are protected, the Straits Times has reported.
The call by the Association of Women for Action and Research (AWARE) comes amid a growing number of Singapore men marrying foreign brides from neighbouring countries through matchmaking agencies.
According to the Straits Times, one in four grooms or 6,520 Singaporean men married a foreign bride last year, the highest number in the last 10 years.
"The matchmaking agency is the entity in which the foreign bride will place her confidence, and the way it conducts its business has a significant impact on the couple and, in particular, the bride," AWARE was quoted as saying.
Pointing out that most of these matchmaking agencies operate on a commercial basis, AWARE said "they may not conduct the necessary checks on their clients, leaving prospective foreign brides in a vulnerable position."
Matchmaking agencies charge clients a fee ranging from 5,000 Singapore dollars (3,246 US) to 20,000 dollars for a bride.
At the moment, too few checks are carried out on clients who are looking for a foreign bride, who, on the other hand, are subjected to several tests especially on their health, said AWARE.
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