English test legal case

[bednobs]

a woman is going to court to try and overturn the rules than immigrants HAVE to pass an english test before being allowed to live in this country (UK)
She wants her 58 yr old husband to come over, and thinks it's unreasonable for him to be made to learn english first, and claims it's infringing her human rights to family life if he dosen't come(as far as i can make out - i may have read it wrong)
What do you think?
http://news.bbc.co.uk...d_9550000/9550271.stm

[factor-fiction]

They have lived apart for six years. It seems odd.
I'm not sure whether she has considered moving to India

[Safiya]

if she waits a few years he will be exempt i think

[bednobs]

That is what i thought - if she wants to exercise her human rights to a family life, perhaps she should move to India and have it?

[rowanwitch]

unfortunately we signed up to the human rights act and I expect she will be successful....but surely 6 years is long enough for him to have made a reasonable effort to learn English... why leave it until now.

[Ankou]

i worked in saudi for several years. i would be most disappointed if my wife wasn't allowed to join me because she couldn't speak arabic.

he lives in a small village in gujurat. how likely is it that he could learn english before coming here ? that said, my father in law is 62 and just taken up salsa, the old dog!

[Gromit]

// overturn the rules than immigrants HAVE to pass an english test //

Sorry, you've failed.

[piggynose]

so learning a foreign language and salsa the same then ankou?

[bednobs]

:)

[jake-the-peg]

Again the great myth that it's all to do with the Human Rights Act.

The HRA just placed it into British law

If it hadn't happened the only difference is that she'd be dragging the UK government over to the Hague.

The HRA just means it's now British rather than European judges telling the Government whether it's broken the rules.

On balance I think it is rather unreasonable

Would it be reasonable to object if he were deaf and dumb?

What if he had had a stroke and were incapable of speaking clearly?

[Safiya]

good points jake

[Ankou]

piggy, how about i show you some nifty moves and you can understand what i'm saying ?! bring a toothbrush.

[stokemaveric]

they are discussing it on radio 2 now...of course they should be able to talk english..im sick to death of this country pandering to the wishes of migrants..noone should be allowed into the uk unless they show a commitment to want to fit into british culture and being able to speak english is a fundamental requirement..

[daisya]

Once again stoke you have put my views on the subject as well, totally agree that if anyone, anywhere in the world wishes to move and live in another country (not just here) they should be able to understand and learn the language and be able to show they will fit into and respect the culture.

[Safiya]

same could be said of english people moving to spain or wherever they all go..... the ones i know who've done it dont know any of the language

[daisya]

Agree entirely Safiya, just as I posted previously

[Safiya]

sorry didnt see your post when i started daisy

[bednobs]

you are confusing immigrants with migrants. People have free movement throughout the EU, and there is nothing in European law to say you have to speak that language (to take your spanish example). However it IS law that immigrants must be able to speak english before they come

[Safiya]

thats pretty unfair really.... my mate came here from eastern europe..his english is pratically non existant

[emmie]

safiya i agree it is unfair, but the Indian woman in question has been here for a time so it would seem, and according to the report she doesn't speak a great deal of English herself, and hubby speaks none. I agree about learning the language wherever you settle, its a way to make friends for one thing, and quite honestly i am sick to death of walking into a place where the staff have little or no command of the English language and struggle to make myself understood.

[Brenden]

I did read she also wants her nine children over as well - do'nt know how true this is