Legal News
Two-thirds Of Marriage Visa Immigrants Have Never Visited UK (16 September 2011)
Date: 16/09/2011
Two-thirds of immigrants on marriage visas have never visited the UK, statistics have revealed. Forty-thousand migrants enter the country each year, either to marry or join an existing spouse. Together they bringing with them 9,000 children and other dependants. Home Office files dating back to 2009 have revealed that 67 per cent of migrants were coming to the UK for the first time. The research raises concerns that the majority of migrants lack knowledge and understanding of British culture.
The report supports the campaign by the Immigration Minister Damian Green to prevent the misuse of Family visas. Mr Green believes that the sensitive issues surrounding marriage visas must be tackled. Mr Green believes that a better migration system would be better for the UK as a whole.
Research reveals that approximately eight out of ten migrants who arrived from Pakistani and Bangladesh on Family visas in 2004 settled permanently within five years. One in five sponsors of marriage visas were either unemployed or earning less than the minimum wage, while one in three was residing with relatives or friends and were not supporting themselves financially, research revealed.
Sir Andrew Green, the chairman of Migrationwatch, is set to condemn abuse of Article 8 of the Human Rights Act, which states that migrants have the right to a private and Family life, by foreign criminals wishing to remain in the country. Official figures reveal that more than half of the offenders who successfully appeal do so with the aid of Article 8.
Managed migration solicitors at Duncan Lewis can provide clients with the advice they require when navigating the visa application system.