BritCits

Affected families and charities protest against the immigration rules splitting up families

Marking the first anniversary of the new family migration rules, hundreds of British families are planned to gather outside the Home Office building in London to voice their frustration with the rules keeping them apart from their spouses, children and parents.

 The protest comes soon after a series of Parliamentary debates and a report which condemned the rules for being unfair and last week’s court decision which rules the income level of £18,600 disproportionate.

Prior to the demonstration a delegation of Divided Families campaign representatives will present a petition letter to David Cameron, calling him to review the rules in light of his promise to lead the most family friendly Government we've ever had.

The family migration rules introduced in July 2012 require British citizens wishing to sponsor a non-EU spouse to show minimum earnings of £18,600 per year. Rules include restrictions on individuals wishing to bring their parents to the UK.

JCWI Chief Exec, Habib Rahman said “The pain caused by Theresa May in her reckless pursuit of lower net migration is astounding. It hurts couples, children and families. It also hurts the economy, it denies the kind of upbringing David Cameron says he supports to thousands of children. The sooner this Government starts to prioritise family life over tabloid headlines the better.”

Chris Mead of the Family Immigration Alliance commented that the rules threaten a second class of citizenship for thousands of working British families. "By placing the onus of an income threshold solely on the sponsor, the government fails to acknowledge the modern reality of a family's income, with spouses supporting each other in tough times. These rules have consigned British sponsors to a painful and forced separation from their spouses and children. The government must stop 'means testing' such a basic human need."

BritCits founders Steve Green and Sonel Mehta are calling on the government to reconsider immigration rules devastating British citizens across the UK: those earning over £100,000 unable to sponsor parents because of rules impossible to meet; young mums forced to choose between kids and their spouse; Brits forced into exile or unable to return home with barriers to re-entry too high with a non-EU spouse in tow; debt-free pensioners pushed into working for income they don't need; couples delaying children out of fear of UKBA and ever-changing rules; birthdays, anniversaries, even birth of kids being celebrated on Skype...the legacy of broken relationships, marriages, families will not come cheap, affecting not only our economy but the very moral fabric of our nation.

Ruth Grove-White, Policy director at Migrants' Rights Network said, 'being able to start a family in your own country should not be subject to the amount of money you make. The rules are causing unneeded hardship for almost 18,000 families a year and it is time for the Government to take action and review this policy."