Surinder Singh country specific guide

with updates and brand new sections for Denmark and Netherlands available here.  A massive thank you to all the contributors for sharing your experience.  For those with anything to add, major or trivial, please contact us! If your contribution helps even one person it's gratefully received.

Wednesday morning links


The Forum/Zrinka Bralo : 'How to solve a problem like Calais?'

http://migrantforum.org.uk/how-to-solve-a-problem-like-calais/

'Now, here is another kind of fantasy: maybe, just maybe, our political leadership (we mean all parties) will face the facts and try different approach, and for once deal with factual reality of migration as normal, positive, human phenomenon and that as a grown up country we can deal with it to our advantage.'

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The Daily Show : 'No country for little kids'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0E3a1gjM10

'Michael Che investigates an elaborate conspiracy involving thousands of children posing as refugees in order to invade America. '

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The Right to Remain conference, storified

https://storify.com/Right_to_Remain/courage-and-campaigning-for-migration-justice

'On Saturday 6 September, we held our first annual conference with our new name, Right to Remain. It was an incredible day with over 100 people from all over the UK - and from all over the world - sharing stories of courage, resistance and solidarity in campaigning for migration justice. '

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Lincolnshire Echo : 'Twelve-hour riot after detainee dies at Morton Hall Immigration Removal Centre in Swinderby, Lincolnshire'
http://www.lincolnshireecho.co.uk/hour-riot-detainee-dies-Morton-Hall-Immigration/story-22887568-detail/story.html

BBC : 'Morton Hall Immigration Centre disorder investigated'
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lincolnshire-29094137

The Right to Remain conference in London last weekend held a minute's silence for the man who died.

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Unlocked Detention/Ben from Detention Action : 'Shining a light on the inhumanity of the current system'

http://unlocked.org.uk/blog/shining-a-light-on-the-inhumanity-of-the-current-system/

Remembering Rubel Ahmed. Powerful stuff - a must read.

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Unlocked Detention : 'Visiting someone in detention' 

http://unlocked.org.uk/blog/visiting-detention/

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Free Movement : 'Family visitor receives £125,000 damages for mistreatment by immigration officials '

http://www.freemovement.org.uk/family-visitor-receives-125000-damages-for-mistreatment-by-immigration-officials/


Politics.co.uk/Ian Dunt : 'The Home Office's campaign of lies and intimidation against a mother '

http://www.politics.co.uk/comment-analysis/2014/08/04/the-home-office-s-campaign-of-lies-and-intimidation-against

'It is a story about men with too much power and too little accountability, and how innocent people can get lost in the system if one of these men takes a dislike to them. It is a story about officials fabricating evidence to win legal cases. It is a story about a government department which is out of control.' 

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Politics.co.uk/Ian Dunt : Grey and hopeless: The grim reality of immigration tribunals

http://www.politics.co.uk/blogs/2014/08/20/grey-and-hopeless-the-grim-reality-of-immigration-tribunals

Harley Miller's ongoing struggle.

'In the afternoon we're told there will be no hearing today. So that's it: six months waiting, ten people taking the day off, all for nothing.'

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Migrants' Rights Network/Don Flynn : 'MRN sets out reasons why The Guardian should not use the term 'illegal immigrant' '

http://www.migrantsrights.org.uk/news/2014/mrn-sets-out-reasons-why-guardian-should-not-use-term-illegal-immigrant

No human is illegal.

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Vox : '38 maps that explain Europe'

http://www.vox.com/2014/9/8/6103453/38-maps-that-explain-europe

Particularly interested in the fantasy map dividing the European Union into 28 equal-population states, including evocative states like Cisalpina, Czecho-Silesia, Anglo-Mercia, the Celtic Union, and a resurrected Prussia. Border are fluid.

Don't forget to check out the commuter rail map across three nations, and the maps of Europe in the fifth century and during the Cold War. Borders are fluid.

(Europe by night is particularly beautiful).

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Grantland : 'A fighter abroad'

http://grantland.com/features/brian-phillips-boxing-career-freed-american-slave-tom-molineaux/

The fascinating story of prizefighter Tom Molineaux - freed American slave (and immigrant to Britain).

'On December 10, 1810, in a muddy field around 25 miles from London, a fight took place that was so dramatic, controversial, and ferocious that it continues to haunt the imagination of boxing more than 200 years later. One of the fighters was the greatest champion of his age, a bareknuckle boxer so tough he reportedly trained by punching the bark off trees. The other was a freed slave, an illiterate African-American who had made the voyage across the Atlantic to seek glory in the ring...' 

'...“It will also not be forgotten, if justice holds the scales, that his colour alone prevented him from becoming the hero of that fight.” '

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Washington Post/Kenneth J. Rose : 'I just freed an innocent man from death row. And I’m still furious.'

http://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2014/09/04/i-just-freed-an-innocent-man-from-death-row-and-im-still-furious/

Wayne and Daisy's baby

Wayne and Daisy's story :
http://britcits.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/wayne-and-daisy-wayne-tells-his-story-i.html

Wayne writes :

' This is baby Paris, born in France while we enjoy our exile here. Born 3rd October 2013.

'Our baby and my wife would be at risk living in Mindanao, being the daughter of a westerner and wife of a British citizen (terrorism in Mindanao : http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/327333/news/nation/new-zealand-warns-nationals-vs-travel-to-parts-of-mindanao ).

'The French have been wonderful towards us. We are so grateful to the French people for all their help, their hospital care, even with us turning up on their doorstep with my wife's waters broken. They were amazed by our plight. They have been so lovely.'

Questions an American spouse of Brit citizen, with ILR was asked on return from a week's holiday in France. #impertinent #inappropriate #comedygold #whatcenturyisthis #specialrelationship

'I flew from Gatwick airport, England to Nice Airport, France, for my one week holiday with some girlfriends from NYC - We all met there. When I entered France, I handed the immigration officer my American passport, and he stamped me in, and said, 'Bonjour, enjoy your stay.'

'Not ONE question asked. I was not asked how long I was staying, where I was going, if I had a return ticket... Nothing.

'When I returned to the UK, at the same airport I left from, I had an entirely different welcome...

'I walked up to his little tupperware booth, and I handed him my American passport, and my BRP permit, or ILR card, which is proof that I have paid an insane amount of money, and been checked out so deeply that Theresa May has most likely personally sniffed my underwear, and I have been PRE-Approved to be in this country, as the spouse of a British citizen, for as long as I freakin' feel like it, and, THIS IS WHAT I WAS ASKED:

1/ "Do you presently reside in the uk?'

2/ 'Why are you residing in the UK?'

3/ "Is your British spouse travelling with you today?'

4/ 'When did your residency in the UK begin?'

5/ 'When did you receive your BRP card?'

6/ 'How long have you been out of the UK on this trip?'

7/ 'How long have you been out of the UK on other trips since you arrived in the UK as the spouse of a British citizen?'

8/ 'Did your British husband travel with you on those trips?'

9/ 'What are the dates and length of those trips?'

10/ 'Are the two trips to France the only trips you have taken without your British spouse?'

11/ 'Do you spend weekends in the UK with your British spouse?'

12/ 'Where is your British husband now? Is he collecting you?'

13/ 'Why did you travel abroad on two occasions without your British spouse?'

14/ 'Did you travel abroad with someone else?'

15/ "Who did you travel with?'

16/ 'How long have you known them?'

17/ "What is the nature of your relationship with these people?'

18/ 'Are you either physically or romantically involved with any of the people you have been abroad with?'

19/ 'How often do you plan to leave the UK?'

20/ 'Is your British spouse aware that you left the UK?'

21/ 'Are you still residing with your British spouse?'

22/ 'What is the address?'

23/ 'Are you employed?'

24/ 'What is the place of your employment?'

25/ 'Are you carrying anything on this list of prohibited items?'

26/ 'What was the purpose of your trip abroad?'

27/ 'Do you and your British spouse regularly holiday without each other?'

28/ 'We need your fingerprints for the purposes of immigration. Would you please place your fingers on the red line?'

And then, when all was said and done, he said, are your ready... Wait for it...

'Enjoy your visit to the UK.'

My... Visit? My VISIT?! Enjoy my VISIT to the UK?

Um, I live here.

I thought we just established that fact, like, 6 times... ?

How about... WELCOME HOME?

Can they legally ask me all of those questions?

I mean, I guess they can... But, duh, he had half of the information he was asking for in his hands. He had my passport, so he could see when I have left the country, and he had my spouse visa in it, with dates on it, and he had my BRP card...

Grrrr... Nice, huh?

I literally stood there writing them down on my magazine. After each question, he stared at me for like 8 seconds, then he entered the info into his computer, slowly, so I noted down what he asked me while he did that.

1954

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sousveillance

Crowning moment of eloquence

Below, with permission, is a wonderfully written piece of prose by our co-conspirator, Gerard. It had me smiling on the train as I read it on my phone this morning - no mean achievement. It's addressed to the bureaucrats/victimisers in question, with many interested parties copied in. 

I've written about Gerard's situation before (mentioned here http://britcits.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/a-good-day.html , and here http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21178405 ). Gerard writes eloquently and wittily on the whole sorry situation and we reproduce the letter with his permission.

Somehow I don't think he's the kind of man to give up on this.

He tweets here https://twitter.com/gerardhearne - I recommend following him, and the hashtag https://twitter.com/search/realtime?q=%23settlementvisanightmare&src=hash

The government has succeeded in reducing immigration numbers for family reunification by a couple of hundred - for now (because people have agency, and will not tolerate being separated from their families). But this has come at an enormous personal cost for many, no doubt with consequences for the future.

---

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am well aware that First-tier Tribunal have given you a deadline of 2 May. They allow up to three weeks for the appeal to reach you, i.e. by 10 January, so of course I am told that it reached you on 10 January, but it may well have been late December.

You are then allowed up to 16 weeks, i.e. by 2 May, to make your decision, so you seem to be hinting strongly that you will wait until then to respond, because you can. That date, 2 May, is the upper limit, it does not mean that you have to wait until then. You could equally well respond in January, February, March or April. But doubtless you won’t, because you don’t have to.

You have Rob Whiteman claiming that you offer a ‘world class’ service’ and yet you seem to want to cause British citizens and their spouses, who pay you a LOT of money, the maximum delay and inconvenience, simply because you can.

Why do you approach the issuing of visas as something resembling a gladiatorial contest, a fight to the death? It is as if every visa you issue is another defeat, another failure. Instead of celebrating the fact that two people have found each other, might have found happiness, might be able to lead a contented productive life together, you seek to make that as difficult as possible and to delay it as long as possible, because you can.

There is nothing clever in an odious policy that results in the maximum delay, inconvenience and unhappiness. The effect of what you are doing on a global scale is to build up a huge pool of anger and resentment that will have who knows what knock-on effects and repercussions in the future. In the short term it results in facebook groups and organisations that offer assistance and run campaigns for change, because they/we can. We talk to, support and help each other, because we can. While you see us as the enemy, utterly bizarre and ludicrous if you pause to think about it, we will team up, and become politicised, to fight back, because we can. And we will.

And the result is a lot of wasted time, effort and energy on all sides and at many levels. We have a home secretary who is hell bent on reducing net immigration to the tens of thousands, i.e. a purely arbitrary target of under 100,000 for who knows what reason, other than to appease a populace indoctrinated by the Daily Mail to see immigrants as something bad and negative. Because she can? But without its immigrants many parts of the UK, e.g. the London Underground and the NHS, would cease to function. And for reasons known only to you, you seem to want to support Rob Whiteman and Theresa May in their aim to ‘keep them out’, because they can try to. An opinion poll would probably find a majority favoured the return of hanging, would you support and implement that too? Because you can’t.

In the UK there is net immigration, now falling rapidly as you keep out the foreign students, the foreign business people, the foreign investment and the foreign spouses and family members, because you can, for now, none of which is doing the economy any good at all. The deficit and the debt will only be brought under control by expanding the economy, Keynesian economics, not by making savage cuts across the board. It does not and is not working, because it doesn’t. You don’t turn a business round by saving on staples, stamps and paper clips and sacking employees while the sales manager makes wild promises, because it won’t work.

But net immigration includes substantial emigration, now including doctors emigrating to support elderly relatives abroad because they can’t get UK visas for them, and because they can and must. Plenty of Brits are getting out because they have had enough, because they can; one day I might join them, but for now, for various reasons, I will be staying in the UK, though both France and Thailand have their appeal. In fact, once you finally do what you are supposed to do and could have done a long, long time ago, we may well split our time between all three, because we might like and choose to.

Since you are choosing to make our lives, like those of so many others, so difficult, I will point out a few salient facts to you, because I can. I’m not going to tell you a sob story because I am above that. I am resigned to you having no compassion for anyone and seeking only to stretch things out for as long as the rulebook and the court will let you, because you can. It’s a very sad state of affairs, I almost feel sorry for you, almost but not quite, because I am keenly aware of the harm and the hurt that the UKBA causes around the world. In brief, I do not expect you ever to do the decent thing, because you don’t, only what you are forced to do by ‘the rules’ and by the court, i.e. very reluctantly because you must, especially for someone like me who answers back, because I can and I will. Why and how you have got to this point I do dot know, but if you have no conscience then so be it, because it is so.

I will do and/or have done what I need to do to get my wife her visa. We are married and we will live together, because we will. And I will do as much as I legitimately and legally can to help others get their visas, because I can, because you have driven me to that. The more you inconvenience us, the more I want to help others, because I can. It is not a war but it feels like one. And for the record, talking of wars, my two maternal uncles died in World War One, ‘the war to end all wars’, because one chose to (Gunner John Henry, 690400, 2 Aug 1896 - 13 Sep 1917) and the other had to (Lance Corporal Henry Thomas, 204241, 26 Mar 1898 - 23 Aug 1918 ), for various reasons, before another war to make the world ‘a better place’. I presume all that is lost upon you as you are fighting your own war, against me and my wife and against all the other couples like us. And do you know why? Because I’m sure I don’t, other than because you can.

In my case I divorced my wife because, after 24 years of mutual fidelity, she chose to have an affair with and leave me for a fat teetotal chain-smoking Greek Cypriot motorbiking social worker who knocked her around a bit, allegedly, and eventually succumbed to lung cancer, because he did ... or is there another explanation? I used the exact same description of him in my recent long letter to Rob Whiteman, with copies sent to various interested parties (like this one), because I could.

And then I had a rough decade but I’m still here, because I’m strong, ‘Somehow we survive, and tenderness frustrated does not wither’ (Dennis Brutus). I survived the deep clinical depression, I took a sabbatical, I finished my French degree, I worked in France as a language assistant, twice, I did an MA, I rented out my old photographic studio, I still do, I rented out my home, I paid off all my debts, I supported and support my two sons, I was a volunteer Samaritan, I got into academic proofreading, I do a lot of work for foreign students, I export my work and bring foreign currency into the UK, I pay my tax and NI, I support my wife and her elderly widowed mother, because I do what’s right. I paid huge fees to you, because I had to. I tolerate your stubborn, obstinate and obstructive implementation of ‘the rules’, because I must.

In my wife’s case she found someone for the first time in her life. So she gave up her job at Redalpi/Alpithai in Bangkok, she gave up the little apartment she shared with her friend in Wangthonglang, she rented out her little house, her little refuge, outside Bangkok, she sold her nice Isuzu pickup to her younger sister, she worked through all the Thai bureaucracy, which is vast but fair and relatively fast, because she could and because she chose to.

So yes, two people found each other and married, because we love each other. And what is your response to all of that?

To make us wait, just because you can. And because you have no imagination?

Good day to you,

Gerard Hearne (MA).

Gerard and Vilai

“UKBA is happy to take the visa application fees, and find spurious reasons to reject visa applications, in order to take yet more fees....”

Gerard is a British citizen and 59 years old. He is a seventh child and grew up in a loving family.

Gerard’s wife, Vilai, is a good woman, and Gerard, a good man, good husband and good dad. Gerard and his wife are being forced live apart, surviving on emails and phone calls. Gerard does not need to work, having paid off his mortgage. Yet he works, yet he pays his taxes, and yet he is kept apart from his wife.

To be together in the UK they must now embark on further unnecessary onerous bureaucracy to satisfy a cold heartless agency doing this government’s cruel callous bidding. Family friendly? Gerard and Vilai think not; to the UKBA they are just two more pawns contributing towards statistics showing what a good job 'they' are doing to protect ‘our borders’ and ‘the taxpayer’. But Gerard too is a taxpayer.

Thon has never been married before, nor had any children. Thon would prefer they live in Thailand, near her mum and four sisters, but Gerard prefers the UK, where his home and children are. So Vilai is prepared to give up her family, friends and career so that Gerard doesn’t have to give up his.

Gerard is very accomplished having attended university not once, but four times. He has been self-employed most of his life, and was a professional photographer for about 25 years, in the Cumbria area. He has worked hard, worked long hours and made many weddings and other events memorable for many British families. Indeed, when his work expanded to include a letting agency renting out holiday homes in the Loire Valley, Gerard’s photos were even featured on the front cover of Chez Nous.

The work was very successful and Gerard and his first wife contributed a lot in taxes to the British
government. To help develop the business further, Gerard went to study French: conversation classes, A-level at night school, a BA at university starting at age 47, at every level he was encouraged to go further.

He soon closed his studio and rented it out as half shop, half flat. All however wasn’t to continue smoothly.

In 2002, two years into his BA degree, Gerard’s wife of 24 years admitted to an ongoing affair. Gerard was shattered and subsequently diagnosed with severe clinical depression.

As one must do, however, he learnt to move on, going to work in a BT call centre before completing his degree at university where, despite the upheavals, he succeeded in obtaining a 2:1, a hair's breadth away from a first. With his qualifications, he was offered work at a university in Brittany (France), as a language assistant. Gerard spent a year in France while also completing the divorce proceedings. Many of his students were the children of families from Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria, and all delightful students.

He was able to retain his house and studio ... and a hefty mortgage; his other assets, including his share of the French business, went to his now ex-wife. Gerard knows all about beans on toast and no heat; better that than claim benefits. He is a proud man.

Gerard went on to complete an MA TEFL course, again at university, just six weeks after burying his mum, aged 97 years. Both Gerard’s uncles (John and Thomas) died in World War One, in 1917 (Ypres) and 1918 (between Arras and Cambrai), aged 21 and 20.

Gerard completed the MA, along with students from Greece, Iran, China and Taiwan, for whom he did some proofreading. He worked so hard he got a distinction for his dissertation.

Being over 50, Gerard found obtaining work difficult. He spent some savings on renovating his home. In the summer of 2007, he worked as a postman for a short period, followed by some proofreading work. Then he spent several months helping his elder son renovate the house he had bought in north Manchester – hard unpaid physical graft. Gerard had planned to sell his house, pay off his mortgage and perhaps move to France, but helping his son meant he got caught up in ‘the crash’, and he missed the boat.

So he rented out his renovated house and went to France on the off chance that some work would come his way. He succeeded in obtaining a language assistant job in Lille. As before, he paid all the deductions in France and living/ travelling expenses (not tax deductible), more tax on his French salary in the UK, and tax on his rental income. He came back to find the flat he had ented out trashed, not for the first time, and had to spend several weeks sorting that out.

In late 2009 Gerard was fed up, lonely and disillusioned. However, finally, things were to take a turn for the better; the mortgage was nearly paid off and Gerard met his now wife, Vilai. They spent a lot of time together in Thailand and the UK.

Last year Gerard applied for a visit visa in Bangkok, but was turned down, with the usual ‘insufficient reason to return’, despite having a long-term job to go back to and proof of same. While querying the decision, Gerard contacted his MP’s office and other individuals. Mysteriously, the decision was reversed and no explanation was given. Gerard wanted Vilai to marry him while she was here, but Vilai had promised her boss she would go back, and so she did.

The plan last December was for Gerard to spend more time with Vilai, his fiancée, and proceed to marriage if and when they were both sure. She always was, he became so, despite and perhaps because of some cultural differences.

Finally, one fine day, they got married. The intention was Gerard would return to UK with his wife, but they were hit by the English test requirement; it had to be taken and passed before applying for a visa, along with the health checks.

Gerard firmly believes, in line with various studies, that the place to learn English is in an English-speaking country, by immersion (acquisition), not just in a classroom. Soon it became apparent that they would not be travelling together as Gerard had urgent matters to attend to at home. Gerard did at least hope that his wife would be with him in time for the Olympic torch coming through his village. Alas, it was not to be.

Thon sat the English test in March and passed first time, although it took until May for the certificate to arrive. There was then an IOM query over her TB test, and it took another two months for the all-clear to be received. All these delays meant that they could not submit a spouse visa application before 9 July.

Finally, in August, Vilai was able to apply for a settlement visa, pay over £800 (Gerard reimbursed her of course) and wait up to 12 weeks for the UKBA to decide if this married couple could live together.

Worse was to come. Vilai’s application was rejected as the UKBA wanted a vast array of additional
documentation. No chance was given to respond. It was a rejection, and probably another £800+ to be paid before they would consider this spouse's application again.

The UKBA appears to be happy to advise what they want after they turn you down; then, on subsequent applications, they may find something else, and so it goes on. They don’t ask for more information during the waiting period, which is scandalous.

What does Gerard think of all this? He thinks it’s appalling. What should have been a happy joyous time after a decade of misery turned into an edelweiss trampled on by jackboots. HMRC is happy to accept the thousands he pays in taxes, meanwhile the UKBA is even happier to take the visa application fees, and find spurious reasons to reject visa applications, in order to take yet more fees.

This government doesn’t care how long they keep married couples apart; they don’t care about British citizens and their spouses; they don’t seem to respect marriage or family. Article 8 is just a thorn in their side. All British citizens hear about are scam marriages, terrorists, drug dealers and people-trafficking.

They somehow seem to have forgotten that there are still many decent honest citizens who just want to live their lives.