SPOUSE'S VISAS

Early day motion 1285, tabled 15 December 2005 by David Howarth (Liberal Democrat). Signed by 58 members.

That this House condemns the Home Office ruling whereby a foreign national with a genuine and subsisting marriage to a British national and who needs to regularise their stay in the United Kingdom either must return to their country of origin to apply for a UK spouse's visa, accompanied by their British spouse and British young children, which often has a hostile environment and presents an unacceptable risk, or the foreign spouse must travel alone and face an indefinite separation resulting in a stressful disruption to family life and support for the family; and calls for the Home Office to exercise the granting of discretionary leave to remain in the United Kingdom even when the requirements of the Rules are not met but where there are genuine Article 8 (right to respect for private and family life) reasons which make removal inappropriate.

Signatures by party: Liberal Democrat 24, Labour 23, Conservative 4, Scottish National Party 3, Plaid Cymru 2, Respect 1, Social Democratic and Labour Party 1.