Visa refusal for English-speaker on language grounds must be reversed - Hughes

12.00.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 22nd Apr 2008

Liberal Democrat MP for North Southwark and Bermondsey Simon Hughes has restated his call for the government to review its immigration rules after a Southwark resident, originally from New Zealand and with a Masters degree, was refused leave to remain by the Home Office because she did not meet the English language requirement - even though English is her native language.

Responding to the recent Home Office decision, Mr Hughes said:

"For the Home Office to turn down a Southwark resident for Highly Skilled Migrant Status on the grounds she did not meet the English language requirement, when her native language is English, cannot be right.

"I am taking up this case with the Home Office and hope that they will urgently realise the nonsense of this part of their decision."

ENDS