McGrath - I hear what you are saying but the Plaid Cymru MP's are paid to represent their constituents and may not be the most objective of complainants. I have seen many complaints from MP's supporting the most hopeless of immigration cases. Whatever the personal view of an MP, most of them find it easier to write a letter of complaint backing their constituent and then show said constituent the reply from the Minister's Private Office turning down their reps - but they can tell the constituent that at least they tried. As the unfortunate Patagonian girl's case went to Minister level, as it would need to with an MP's complaint, the Border Agency would have had good, solid evidence that some abuse of the rules was planned. A Ministerial submission would be required in this case and you need to be very sure of your case before doing that! As regards a third of appeals being granted, that stat refers mainly to visa refusals at our overseas missions.