PETITION FROM 'BRIDES WITHOUT BORDERS' & OTHERS

PETITION FROM 'BRIDES WITHOUT BORDERS' AND OTHERS.

12th September 2005

To the House of Commons

We, the undersigned, declare that:

The Home Office decisions that British Nationals can be reasonably expected to accompany their foreign spouses or partners to their home countries, where these countries have been deemed unsafe for British Nationals to visit by the British Foreign Office, is unjust and thus should be rectified.

Where the consequence of the removal of the spouse or partner of a British National is that the British National is required either to accompany their spouse or partner to a country deemed unsafe by the British Foreign Office or to face an indefinite period of separation, this removal is in breach of the Human Rights Act Article 8, 'The Right to Family Life'.

Furthermore we declare that the removal of the spouse or partner of a British National (in so far as the marriage or partnership is deemed genuine and substantive) is in breach of the Human Rights Act Article 8, 'The Right to Family Life'.

In addition since February 2005 British nationals wishing to marry non-EU nationals now have to seek home office permission to marry, and to the extent that this permission is refused, this is in breech of the Human Rights Act, Article 8, 'The Right to Family Life'.

The Petitioners therefore request:

The House of Commons debates on this matter, and thus asks that the Home Office reconsiders their decisions and uses their powers to grant Discretionary Leave to individuals in cases where the removal would involve a the British National accompanying their spouse to an 'unsafe' country or a separation of couples for an indefinite length of time (where the relationship is believed to be genuine and substantive). As this would be seen as breaching of Article 8 of the Human Rights Act.

We petition that the laws surrounding the obtainment of a spousal visa be revised so that those British Nationals married to Foreign Nationals of countries deemed 'unsafe' by the Foreign Office be allowed to obtain a spousal visa from within the United Kingdom (in so far as the relationship is deemed genuine and substantive).
That those British Nationals seeking to marry Foreign Nationals, be allowed to do so, (in so far as their relationship is deemed genuine and substantive), in accordance with British law prior to February 2005.