Courts / Dublin / Report

Man falsely registered himself as father to six in Irish passport scam

Date
2022-11-01

Stage
Sentence

Primary locality
Dublin City

County
Dublin

Summary

Alan Yip, 47, of Parnell Street, Dublin, was sentenced to three years in prison after pleading guilty to six counts of providing registrars with false or misleading birth information between August 2012 and July 2015. Judge Martin Nolan stated Yip deserved a custodial sentence for his role in a scheme that facilitated Irish passports for children. Five co-accused parents—Ning Zhang, Wei Qin Xie, Jie Chen, Honghui Dong, and Peng Lin—each pleaded guilty to one charge of providing false birth particulars regarding their own children. Although the judge initially considered harsh sentences for deterrence, he ultimately decided against imprisonment, citing their desperation and mitigation. Each of these five defendants received a two-year term suspended in full. The court noted that Yip, a British citizen, falsely registered himself as the father of six children to allow their mothers to secure Irish citizenship and leave to remain. Defence counsel argued that custody would be overly severe for the parents, who had no permanent status. The judge acknowledged the parents' difficult circumstances but emphasized they had breached the law. The matter was finalized with Yip jailed and the others receiving suspended sentences.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Man falsely registered himself as father to six in Irish passport scam. Charges or matters: six counts of providing a registrar with information or particulars in respect of the birth of a child which he knew to be false or misleading at a number of Civic Registration Offices around the country on dates between August 2012 and July 2015; an offence of providing a registrar with information or particulars in respect of the birth of a child which they knew to be false or misleading, relating to their own child; the same offence of one charge of providing a registrar with information or particulars in respect of the birth of a child which they knew to be false or misleading. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

August 2012 Incident
July 2015 Incident
2022-11-01 Publication

Why: A man who falsely registered himself as the father of six babies in order to facilitate their mothers in securing Irish passports for their children has been jailed for three years. CNI source report

Case subjects

Alan Yip

Defendant

Charges: six counts of providing a registrar with information or particulars in respect of the birth of a child which he knew to be false or misleading at a number of Civic Registration Offices around the country on dates between August 2012 and July 2015; an offence of providing a registrar with information or particulars in respect of the birth of a child which they knew to be false or misleading, relating to their own child; the same offence of one charge of providing a registrar with information or particulars in respect of the birth of a child which they knew to be false or misleading (Admitted)

Plea: Guilty

Outcome: He said however that Yip deserved a custodial sentence, before he jailed him for three years. On balance I have decided not to imprison them but they have done wrong," Judge Nolan continued, before he sentenced each accused to a two-year term which he suspended in full.

Honghui Dong

Defendant