Restriction on Spanish residence cards declared illegal

MADRID: The Supreme Court of Spain has declared illegal a section of the law under which the residence cards of migrants were cancelled if they stayed out of the country for over six months in a year.

Ruling on a petition filed by an Iranian national woman, the court stated that it was illegal to cancel the residence card on the basis that the applicant had lived for more than six months of the year out of Spain.

The court was of the opinion that free movement was a fundamental human right and the government cannot restrict it by any law.

The apex court declared illegal the section 162/2 of the Reglamento de Extrangeria under which the restriction had been clamped on the residential cards.

Migrants from different countries living in Spain said the ruling would provide a big relief to temporary workers in the country.