Children’s Commissioner
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Anne Longfield comments on Supreme Court ruling on income rules for foreign spouses

Commenting on the Supreme Court ruling on income rules for foreign spouses, Children's Commissioner for England, Anne Longfield, said:

"Although the Supreme Court found that the minimum income rules are lawful in principle, I welcome the ruling that the Immigration Rules fail to give effect to the Secretary of State’s duty to have regard to the need to safeguard and promote the welfare of children when making decisions which affect them and that alternative sources of income should be taken into account when evaluating claims.

“Skype Families, my research into the immigration rules, found that many families were living apart with parents stranded in another country unable to meet the high income thresholds required. thousands of British children were being raised by a single parent in the UK as a result because their parent here did not meet the minimum income needed for their spouse to join them from outside Europe. Children were found to suffer significant stress and anxiety from the separation of their parents and I hope that the Supreme Court’s finding allows more British children to be raised by both their parents in stable, loving, family environments.”

Read the Supreme Court ruling here

Read the Skype Families report here

 

Channel website: https://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/

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