According to BBC News, the UK Supreme Court has ruled that a government ban restricting spouses under the age of 21 from non-EU countries from coming to the UK is illegal. The Supreme Court's ruling is a significant blow to the government's immigration restriction policy.
This ban was introduced by the previous Labour government in 2008, meaning that foreign spouses from outside the European Union could not join their partners in the UK if they were under 21. The Supreme Court ruled that the ban violates the human rights of spouses.
Immigration Minister Damian Green stated that the Supreme Court's ruling was "very disappointing," as this policy is considered legal in other EU countries.
Previously, a couple took their case to the Supreme Court, arguing that the immigration ban interfered with their right to a private and family life.
When the ban was implemented, British national Afzal and her Chilean husband, Diego, were both under 21. When Diego's student visa expired, he was ordered to leave the country. To avoid separation, they first returned to Chile and later moved to Ireland.
Outside the Supreme Court, Afzal said that they had been fighting for the right to live together in the UK for three years since their marriage.
The Supreme Court's ruling means the UK Home Office must either scrap the ban or reformulate it to comply with the European Convention on Human Rights.
It is believed that this ruling will allow approximately 5,000 spouses to come to the UK for family reunion each year.
