Eric Osei-Bonsu v The Secretary of State for The Home Department

Facts

The appellant, Mr Eric Osei-Bonsu, is a Ghanaian national born on 24 August 1980 who relied upon a customary marriage to Ms Yvonne Bawuah, a German national, recorded on a certificate as having taken place on 18 December 2018. He had previously been granted limited leave under the EU Settlement Scheme until 2 August 2026. On 28 May 2024 he made a further application under the Scheme, which the Secretary of State refused on 29 November 2024 on the footing, amongst other matters, that the marriage was one of convenience. He appealed on 12 December 2024. Before the First-tier Tribunal the Secretary of State relied upon the appellant's limited knowledge of Ms Bawuah, including her date of birth, children and family, the absence of evidence of a shared marital life, the absence of any evidence from Ms Bawuah, and the circumstances in which the claimed relationship was said to have existed. The appellant's case was that the marriage was genuine but had become acrimonious and broken down, which explained both his limited knowledge and the sparse documentary evidence; he relied on the marriage certificate, a copy of Ms Bawuah's passport, the earlier grant of pre-settled status, joint water account material and a report concerning his account of domestic abuse. He gave oral evidence and was cross-examined at a hybrid hearing at Birmingham on 10 September 2026.