BritCits

The families separated by the government.

http://www.channel4.com/news/the-families-separated-by-the-government

An excellent piece by Channel 4. Featuring two BritCits - Andy ( http://britcits.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/andy-my-poor-boys.html ) and Christopher ( http://britcits.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/christopher ) - plus  Saira Grant of JCWI ( http://www.jcwi.org.uk/ ) - on Channel 4 News.

'Last year, I met Andy Russell and his two little boys Dylan, aged 6, and Devon, 4. The new immigration rules forced their mother Molly to return to China while Andy searched for work - a job which would pay at least £18,600 - the minimum earnings threshold for his wife to be allowed to stay. (Previous media piece on Andy : http://britcits.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/a-good-day.html ).

'He told me: "The emotional cost you cannot put a price on. When Molly first left, devon just cried, he'd spent every day and night with his mum and suddenly he had nothing"

'They were forced to communicate through Skype and Molly became known as "computer mummy".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhHpaq4KBxY

 
'... Chris Reed is still waiting even though an immigration tribunal ruled in his favour.

'At the age of 63 he works 45 hours a week caring for the elderly. He's £17 a week short of that annual £18,600 figure.

'It's not enough to bring his Kenyan wife to Britain, even though he has a rent-free home and no mortgage.

'At the tribunal, the Home Office - which is in the process of defying legal attempts to amend the rules and lower the financial bar - contested that thousands of pounds in premium bonds did not amount to savings and suggested that Mr Reed simply move to Mombasa.

'Chris told us:"I was dumbfounded it should even be an option, that as a British citizen I should be asked to uproot and leave my family behind just because I had fallen in love with someone who doesn't come from the EU."

'The judge agreed, saying: "I do not accept it is reasonable to expect a British citizen to live in Kenya. It would deprive him of of the benefits of his British citizenship."'

 ‘No free man shall be arrested, imprisoned, dispossessed, outlawed, exiled or in any way victimised, or attacked except by the lawful judgement of his peers or by the law of the land’ - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magna_Carta

Andy in action.