BritCits

Heartrending: an open letter from someone affected by the rules

'Here we are inching closer to the 2 year anniversary of when the Home Office took away multiple human rights of British citizens married to non-eu spouses. Hurting both British family values and all children involved.

'Every day of my life since these rule changes were brought in unlawfully I read web page after web page, legal document after legal document trying to figure out a way for my family to be able to live together in the UK. My husband earns £17,000 annually, which a very good wage for South Wales. There is no way he will earn more, in order for him to reach this income he is working 12 hour shifts 5 - 6 days per week + travel time of an hour each way. There is not enough time in the day for him to get a part time job. For us to meet the savings requirement we would have to have over £29,500 sitting in savings for 6 months.... this would take us over 5 years to save.

'How are these rules being allowed to remain in force? They were unlawfully brought into force, the rules infringe on multiple human rights of British families and British children. The rules themselves are cruel and unnecessary. I say unnecessary as the reason the Home Office has stated they need to take such drastic measures is to protect the tax payers and ensure the non-EU spouses are not a burden. How can we be burdens to the tax payers if we have no recourse to public funding until after we have become citizens ourselves? If I were allowed to join my husband I would be able to work, paying taxes in the UK but not able to access the system until I have been in the country for 5 years and received my indefinite leave to remain status.

'I recently came across a UN web site that breaks down the human rights into easy to read verbiage

http://www.un.org/cyberschoolbus/humanrights/declaration/16.asp

as you can see it clearly states that: " Marriage customs and family laws are different from place to place. Some cultures value large families, others value small ones. But you should be able to choose who you marry, and your country is obliged to protect this right and your family. "

'If the United Kingdom is OBLIGATED under the UN guidelines to protect the right to family life why is nothing being done when the UK Home Office is clearly violating this and making in nearly impossible for average earners in the UK to be able to have their non-eu families with them?

'The UK Children's Commission has also put together a report of the damages these rules are causing to British children when their British parent is being forced to live as a single parent simply because of the insane income requirement that is unachievable by so many British citizens. My, and my husband's only choices right now are to keep living separate lives until 5 years have passed and we save up the £29,500..... how is this being allowed in a first world country that preaches the importance of family and British family values? I beg for help not only for my family but for all the families being forced apart by these immigration rules. There is an upcoming event on February 14, 2014 that of course I will not be able to attend as I am in Canada, my husband cannot attend as he cannot miss a day's work. Why do we have to fight for the born human right to family life that is suppose to be afforded to any human being? 

'I sit here at work yet again with tears streaming down my face, trying to work but unable to focus because of the heartache, depression, loneliness and worry surrounding the immigration rules and my family. The Home Office appealed the July 5, 2013 judgement http://www.freemovement.org.uk/2013/07/05/high-court-finds-minimum-income-rules-disproportionate-and-unjustified/ making all of the British families suffer further by putting all family visa applications on hold until a final decision has been reached.... this could go on for years if the Home Office continues to appeal. Why is this being allowed? These are our lives, our families, our futures..... please help us. Please reach out to the barristers, fellow MP's, any leaders with power to have these rules amended...