"I have never welcomed the weakening of family ties by politics or pressure" - Nelson Mandela.
"He who travels for love finds a thousand miles no longer than one" - Japanese proverb.
"Everyone has the right to respect for his private and family life, his home and his correspondence." - Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
"When people's love is divided by law, it is the law that needs to change". -
David Cameron.

Wednesday 13 November 2013

British citizen forced to choose: your country or your family

A British citizen has been forced to renounce his birthright - his British citizenship - to be with his loved ones.

He is a Northern Ireland resident, which entitles him to Irish citizenship. Obtaining an Irish passport and going through the process of renouncing British citizenship - which he has held all his life - has allowed him to become a non-UK, EU national in the country of his birth. This has allowed him to live with his wife.

He says :

'Just got my wife's EEA Permit, finally this ordeal is over, I am no longer a UK Citizen, being born in Northern Ireland I renounced my UK Citizenship, cost £187, it took one month. We then applied for the EEA Family Permit, that also took a month, plus a two week delay while DHL decided to go slow on an express parcel to China ! So after an initial lengthy wait for a visa refusal as a UK/Irish dual citizen, I decided a UK passport has no benefits what so ever. I'm Irish now and damn proud to be sure!!!

'I wish all of you good, decent, genuine people who are going through this terrible ordeal of separation or a expensive temporary move abroad all the very best of luck and a speedy return to normal life.  '

If this seems like a bizarre twist, it is. It really does highlight the absurdity of these rules.






1 comment:

  1. I'm in the same scenario. It's taken about three months, they've taken the payment but not stamped the RN1 yet.

    ReplyDelete