Dear Home Office,

I would be grateful for release of the policy covering the conduct of marriage interviews by Home Office immigration officials. I understand that parts of the policy may need to be redacted. I am particularly interested in the parts that deal with the approach and conduct of the officials responsible. There have been complaints that marriage interviews are too long, are hostile in nature, that inappropriate and unrealistic questions are asked and more and I would like to see whether the guidance to officials provides guidance on such issues.

Yours faithfully,

Colin Yeo

Dear Home Office,

Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.

I am writing to request an internal review of Home Office's handling of my FOI request 'Marriage interview'.

On 2 August 2016 I received a reply to my FOI request stating that there was no official policy covering the conduct of marriage interviews. On 29 July 2016 exactly such a policy was published on the Home Office website, as Chapter 30 of the Enforcement Guidance and Instructions on Marriage Investigations. It states it has been available to Home Office staff since 25 July 2016.

I am therefore concerned that the answer I received was factually incorrect and that there probably was a draft policy and training available even at the time that I made my original request.

That said, the new policy does not provide any real guidance on the substance of marriage interviews, how to approach such interviews and so on. I am aware there is detailed guidance for dealing with interviews in sexuality based asylum claims covering topics such as asking questions of a sexual nature and how to deal with evidence of sexual activity submitted by a person trying to prove their relationship and therefore their sexuality. There is a clear parallel with sham marriage allegations, where a couple will also have to prove a genuine and subsisting relationship. I would still be grateful for disclosure of any training or policy material relating to how information is obtained on genuine marriage cases, what questions might be appropriate or inappropriate and how a judgment is made on whether a relationship is genuine.

A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/m...

Yours faithfully,

Colin Yeo

Dear FOI Responses,

Thank you for your reply. You ask

"Can you please confirm what training or policy material you are interested in would you like the data for the Marriage & Civil Partnerships referral & Investigation scheme or do you require the data for the Marriage Interviews that are conducted as part of a live application for a European Residence card for EEA and non EEA nationals."

I would be grateful for all of that information. I am interested in all policy and guidance material on marriage interviews, whether as part of a referral and investigation or as part of an EEA application.

Yours sincerely,

Colin Yeo