SPOUSE VISAS

Early day motion 925, tabled 21 February 2007 by David Howarth (Liberal Democrat). Signed by 46 members.

That this House condemns the Home Office ruling whereby a foreign national with a genuine and subsisting marriage to a British national who needs to regularise their stay in the United Kingdom either must return to their country of origin to apply for a United Kingdom spouse 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 21, Labour 19, Social Democratic and Labour Party 2, Conservative 1, Plaid Cymru 1, Respect 1, Scottish National Party 1.