Man whose Hong Kong wife was ruled too poor to support him challenges visa decision

Another Immigration Department decision to withhold a dependant visa will be challenged in court today, the second in a week, this time involving an African man whose Hong Kong wife was deemed too poor to support him.

Lawyers for Salifou Dembele will argue that the Malian should be allowed to stay on with a dependant visa in order to take care of his three-year-old daughter and two other children, aged 17 and 10, born to his wife, Huang Luyun, and her ex-husband.

Dembele and Huang, both 41, married in 2011, a year after the woman obtained permanent residency. In 2012, they gave birth to the daughter in Hong Kong. Dembele speaks Putonghua and used to work as a purchasing manager in Ghana.

Notwithstanding the couple's desire for their family to stay together, the Immigration Department denied Dembele a dependant visa, citing the financial difficulties of his wife, who relies on government Comprehensive Social Security Assistance.

"That seems to be a ridiculous policy," said human-rights specialist Mark Daly, the solicitor for the family. "The children's interests and family reunion should be paramount."

Both the family and the government will be represented by experienced barristers, highlighting the significance of the issue.