[ 2014-12-19 ]

British Citizens Can Now Bring Foreign Family To UK ...Without Visas - RULING
The European Court of Justice has ruled British
citizens should be able to bring non-EU family
members into the UK without a travel visa.

It means the UK's borders could be open to large
numbers of foreign migrants from outside the
European Union, and will intensify pressure on
David Cameron to tackle freedom of movement
rules.

The landmark ruling centres on the case of Sean
McCarthy, who has dual British and Irish
citizenship, and his Colombian wife Patricia
McCarthy Rodriguez.

Mrs McCarthy Rodriguez, who has two children with
her husband - both with British citizenship, had
to get a "family permit" every six months to visit
the UK with her family.

She and her husband took their case to court under
the freedom of movement rules claiming she should
be able to travel without the visa because she had
an EU Residence Card issued by the Spanish
government.

The European court has now ruled in the couple's
favour, saying the rules did not allow the British
government to stop family members entering the
country if they did not have a visa. The
Government said it was "disappointed" with the
ruling.

The Prime Minister has come under increasing
pressure to take on the EU over the impact of
freedom of movement rules on immigration.

Last month he announced a block on EU migrants
claiming welfare for the first four years after
they arrive in the country, suggesting that if the
EU blocked the move he would campaign for Britain
to leave the union.

Responding to the European ruling, Conservative
MEP Timothy Kirkhope, spokesman on justice and
home affairs, said: "Of course the UK should have
an immigration system which is fair, and does not
disadvantage the right of British citizens to be
with their family.

"However, we are disappointed with this judgment
as we believe that the UK's visa system is both
fair and lawful, and does an important job in
meeting this country's migration needs. "Britain
will always be best placed to decide and deal with
its own immigration needs - not a judge in
Luxembourg."

UKIP MEP and spokesman on immigration Steven
Woolfe said: "This ruling extends the so-called
'right to free movement' to millions of people
from anywhere in the world who don't have
citizenship of any country of the EU.

"This is yet more proof that Britain can never
take back control of its borders as long as it
remains in the European Union."

Source - sky.com

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