Questão jurídica principal
Whether the appellant could still derive a right to a residence or settlement permit from Art. 7 ANAG despite the breakdown of the first marriage.
Decisão extraída
No. The Court held that the reliance on Art. 7 ANAG was abusive because, before five years had elapsed since the marriage, there was no serious prospect of continued marital cohabitation.
Fundamentação extraída
The facts found by the cantonal court bound the Federal Court. Those findings showed that, at the latest from early March 2006, the marriage was only formal from the appellant’s perspective. Under settled case law, the statutory right under Art. 7 ANAG cannot be claimed independently of an actual marital relationship, and the right to a settlement permit can only be lost on abuse grounds if the abuse materialized before the five-year period expired.