In the judgment of Quila and Bibi v Secretary of State for the Home Department the Supreme Court has declared that raising minimum age limit to 21 for foreign spouses and their British sponsors was contrary to the Human Rights legislation. The decision to raise minimum age limit from 18 to 21 was introduced into the Immigration Rules in 2008. The purpose behind this change was to fight forced marriages, as younger people were seen as the more likely victims of parental scheming. Needless to say, genuine marriages were affected by the rule just as much, if not more.
The Home Office has announced their intention to review the decisions where applications for leave to enter or remain were refused for the sole reason of not meeting the minimum age limit.
Kadmos welcomes clients who feel they may benefit from the ruling of the Supreme Court!
