RIGHT TO MARRY IN THE UK

That this House expresses concern at the Home Office Certificate of Approval scheme which provides that only those immigrants seeking to marry at an Anglican church in England or Wales are exempt from the scheme; considers the requirement of permission to marry in the UK for immigrant members of other religions, or no religion, or in other parts of the UK, not only to be discriminatory but to be a violation of Articles 8, 9 and 12 of the European Convention of Human Rights; notes that this questionable scheme applies to immigrants regardless of the fact that they may be in the UK lawfully as recognised refugees or foreign students and cannot in any case obtain any immigration advantage by marrying; recognises the Court of Appeal decision in the case of Baiai and Others that the Home Office Certificate of Approval scheme is unlawful; regrets that the Home Office has since raised the fee for Certificate of Approval applications to £295 per person; and calls on the Home Office to rescind this scheme.