Good news - campaigning and perserverance pay off for Stephen and Yilei

Via Facebook:
'We won at last, they have 5 days to appeal but is unlikely. Thanks everyone for your support and friendship - been tough but we got there in the end.'

Great news - well done!

Theresa May, let her stay :
http://britcits.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/theresa-may-let-her-stay-httpswww.html

Stephen and Yilei's story :
http://britcits.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/stephen-yilei-we-dont-claim-benefits.html

Facebook campaign :
https://www.facebook.com/saveYilei

Petition :
http://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/teresa-may-dont-force-my-babies-mother-to-leave-the-uk

More good news stories : http://britcits.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/a%20good%20day

Stephen & Yilei

“We don’t claim benefits and own our own home, yet Yilei is being threatened with deportation.”

Stephen is a British citizen whose roots in Britain can be traced back several generations. Stephen recently became the proud father of a beautiful baby boy, Ethan, with his partner of about five years, Yilei from China.

 Stephen and Yilei met whilst they were both working in the UAE. They we lived happily together in Abu Dhabi for four years before Stephen returned to the UK.

On advice from the British embassy in Abu Dhabi they applied and paid for the required visa for Yilei to join Stephen as his partner, in the UK. The visa was issued.

Five years on, they have set up home here, their son has been born here, they have fully paid for their home with no outstanding mortgage or loan. However, the Home Office is rejecting their application for Yilei and is trying to deport her.

The wife of a British citizen, the mother of a British citizen is being told she has to leave her husband and son. She is being told that her papers are now with Capita to arrange her removal.

Stephen is bemused. He doesn’t claim benefits. He works hard, they own their home and have a secure family unit for their son. His partner is the best of the best; yet they’re being torn apart.

For what? A few votes? Pacifying some voters who don’t know any better? There is no logic in this decision to take away a child’s mother. It achieves nothing except destruction - financial, emotional physical and mental.

Ethan

“My parents are living in the most appalling conditions, when I could easily provide them with a better life, living with me....”

Ethan is a British citizen living in the constituency of Redbridge. He has lived in the UK for over 10 years, never having claimed any benefits. His brother incidentally is also a British citizen. He does however have two loving, if elderly and frail parents in Guyana. His only other sibling is a sister who lives in the USA but does not have the means to support their parents.

His parents are wholly, including financially, dependent on their two sons – sons they worked hard all their life in the hope of their having a better life than their own. Unfortunately, his parents also suffer from ill-health. Ethan’s dad is diabetic, and his mum has been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and high cholesterol. She recently suffered a stroke, luckily a mild one.

Ethan is saddened that due to work and financial commitments, neither he, nor his brother can spend long periods away from the UK. And so he is being deprived from spending valuable time with his parents, who he is otherwise able to fully support in the UK from his own income..he does not need to claim benefits for himself, nor will he need to with them here.

His parents are not alone in Guyana. They are living with Ethan’s aunt in a one-bedroom property. While his aunt is nice, she isn’t able to provide the care for his parents the way he could, would and should. Third party care in Guyana is extremely expensive and anything affordable would deem that without immediate family that is able to keep an eye on things, they won't be treated well. (Often enough we hear of our elderly in homes being mistreated..imagine that a long flight away!)

How can you justify to your parents, let alone yourself, why when you are able to look after them in the UK, have them living with you while they still have time, you fob the responsibility for their wellbeing to someone else. It’s not just about sending money overseas. It’s about being able to sit and talk about your day. Have a laugh together. Hold their hand. Smaller things make the bigger differences.