Save Mae Campaign video

Source :Save Mae Campaign

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nu1-35TY_o8

 After 20 years of marriage, wife from Bristol now faces deportation :
http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/20-years-marriage-wife-faces-deportation/story-23169702-detail/story.html

http://www.bathchronicle.co.uk/Bristol-family-seperated-wife-faces-possibility/story-23175626-detail/story.html

http://britcits.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/after-20-years-of-marriage-wife-from.html

After 20 years of marriage, wife from Bristol now faces deportation

Source :Bristol Post

http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/20-years-marriage-wife-faces-deportation/story-23169702-detail/story.html

'Mr Draper, 59, a property developer, said: "After more than a year of visa negotiations involving lawyers and wranglings with the court, our faith in the immigration system has been totally destroyed. We don't know why Mae wasn't given a one-on-one interview at the time of applying, in which our circumstances could have been explained properly, instead of forms containing tick boxes.

"Mae is a trained midwife and wants to work and live in this country but is being denied that opportunity, despite us having been married for nearly 20 years.

"The UK Border Agency should not be using immigration rules in this way, to keep a decent hard-working family apart."

Don't take my mum away, Hanham teenager begs immigration authorities : http://theweekin.co.uk/uncategorized/dont-take-mum-away-hanham-teenager-begs-immigration-authorities/

'A DVD highlighting the Save Mae Campaign has been produced, in which the couple’s 14-year-old daughter Rhian, a student at the John Cabot Academy in Kingswood, pleads with the immigration authorities not to take her mum away, saying: “My family is being torn apart by the UK Government.” '

‘It feels like a lead weight has been lifted’ - Norfolk couple win two-year immigration battle to stay in UK


Source :Eastern Daily Press (East Anglia)

http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/it_feels_like_a_lead_weight_has_been_lifted_norfolk_couple_win_two_year_immigration_battle_to_stay_in_uk_1_3776867

'Arlene and Stephen Watty broke down in tears when they heard their two-year ordeal was finally over and the Home Office had granted Arlene leave to stay in Britain on a spouse visa.'

'... The spousal visa give Arlene permission to stay in the UK for 30 months, after which she can apply for an extension and then a permanent visa. “I used to call her my wife and now I call her my permanent wife,” joked Stephen. “We’ve been to hell and back. But it’s finally over.”

Better together.

Previously -
 
Hemsby couple fighting to stay together fear Home Office battle might be lost :
http://britcits.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/eastern-daily-press-hemsby-couple.html

‘I do not want to be separated from my husband’ - east Norfolk couple facing immigration battle :
http://britcits.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/i-do-not-want-to-be-separated-from-my.html

Immigration battle goes on for Newport couple facing separation :
http://www.greatyarmouthmercury.co.uk/news/immigration_battle_goes_on_for_newport_couple_facing_seperation_1_3372568

Bletchingley man is forced to live 7,000 miles from his wife - because he's too poor

http://www.surreymirror.co.uk/Bletchingley-man-7-000-miles-wife-s-poor/story-20900932-detail/story.html

'A COACH driver is isolated 7,000 miles apart from his wife – because he does not earn enough for her to return to Britain.


'Ian Crabb married his Filipino bride Doricel in 2009 in her home town, following a drawn-out wrangle over her visa.

'She came here three months later to live with him in Bletchingley.

'They settled down in his flat in Barfields, and his new wife then earned a living locally as a carer in a nursing home.

'But two years ago, 29-year-old Doricel went back to the Philippines for a while, to support her sister with her new baby, and now she finds she can't return here due to her husband's low income...'

‘I do not want to be separated from my husband’ - east Norfolk couple facing immigration battle

http://www.greatyarmouthmercury.co.uk/news/i_do_not_want_to_be_separated_from_my_husband_east_norfolk_couple_facing_immigration_battle_1_3344441

'A husband and wife locked in a “nightmare” immigration battle are fighting to stay together on the Norfolk coast.

'More than 400 people have signed a petition backing Newport couple Arlene and Stephen Watty in their struggle against deportation.

'Forty-five-year-old Arlene, who works full time at a care home in Hemsby, moved to the UK from the Philippines in 2009.

'She arrived on a student visa, studying health and social care, and a year later fell in love with a neighbour, Stephen, and the couple married in 2012.

'As her student visa expired, Arlene applied for leave to remain - the common route for foreign nationals who marry British citizens.

'But her application was refused and now the couple have now lost their appeal. Two weeks ago, a Home Office judge ruled that sending Arlene back would not be “disproportionate or unjustifiably harsh” and the couple, if they want to stay together, could leave Britain and live in the Philippines.

'“I do not want to be separated from my husband,” said Arlene.'

Immigration battle goes on for Newport couple facing separation :
http://www.greatyarmouthmercury.co.uk/news/immigration_battle_goes_on_for_newport_couple_facing_seperation_1_3372568

Sean & Sherry Ann

“I haven’t seen my son as I can’t afford to fly across whilst working to be able to support them.”

Sean is a British citizen, who married Sherry Ann from the Philippines, in April 2010 in the Cavite region.

Sean stayed in the Philippines for around four months, before returning to the UK to find work.

They were under immense financial strain and were lucky to have help from Sean’s parents for the birth of their first child, Sean Paul, in September 2010. Sean returned to the Philippines in November 2010 to help his wife through the severe complications with their son’s heart. The cord was wrapped around his neck and the baby was not receiving sufficient oxygen.

Sadly, Sean Paul made it to just two months when the family made the heart wrenching decision to let him go. Sean stayed in the Philippines as his wife was distraught and needed the support from her husband.

Sean returned to the UK in July 2011 to a job he had been lucky to secure through a friend. The family started saving money – they were expecting their second child. In December 2011, Sean Eric was born – full of life for which the family is immensely grateful.

With having to send money to the Philippines however, Sean has found it very difficult to save up for his family to move to the UK, to live with him. He is yet to meet Sean Eric who he has only seen through Skype and photos.

The £18,600 requirement has all but destroyed their hope of being a family. Their son has grandparents in the UK who have never met their only grandson. A British child has never met his own father.

 Update from Daisy and Wayne.

Previously :
http://britcits.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/daisy

'Arrived in the UK today, very pleased to be here in my mother-in-law's for teatime tonight. '

Fantastic - another Surinder Singh success.

Reunited family. 

Surinder Singh for Newbies :
http://britcits.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/surinder-singh-for-newbies-httpwww.html

Wayne : 'I am just thinking how with all the ups and downs of our trip trying to become a real family together in a foreign country: France, Belgium , Holland. In our case moving from a lovely old farm house in the French countryside to travelling around the EU in our campervan. I hope with all we have learnt along the way we can help many others the future. If you missed it our video blog Wayne & Daisy Freedom of Movement on YouTube some funny moments some extremely worrying times. Good luck and ask us anything in future. '


Wayne and Daisy's YouTube channel : http://www.youtube.com/user/johnwayno1/videos 
---

Update from Jade and Merouane.


'Things are going well.

Glowing with happiness.

'Merouane has been here 6 weeks now. Where does the time go!

More good news, also via EEA free movement rights.

Previously :
http://britcits.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/merouane
---

Woman making a difference.

Divided Families Campaigner Sal Cardiff is speaking at Women Making a Difference on Thursday 26th :
http://www.womenmakingadifference.org.uk/what-we-do/engendering-change

Sal : https://twitter.com/SalCardiff
---

European Commission confirms, once again, the validity of free movement in Europe for people to be with their families.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/185541816/nate-3759328

Article 21(1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) stipulates that every citizen of the Union shall have the right to move and reside freely within the  territory of the Member States, subject to the limitations and conditions laid down in the  Treaties and by the measures adopted to give them effect.

Thanks to Nate for sharing this.

Previously -

European Commissioner Viviane Reding writes to BritCits on Surinder Singh :
http://www.scribd.com/doc/125908671/Comms-Reding

European Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom writes to BritCits on Surinder Singh :
http://www.scribd.com/doc/125908678/Comms-Malmstrom
---

Church Forced To Put Up Gates After Font Is Used As Wash Basin By Migrants  - part of the Young Vic's 'Theatre Uncut' season :
http://www.youngvic.org/whats-on/theatre-uncut

Mark Thomas, comedian and friend of the Divided Families Campaign, in 'a darkly humorous tale of a right-wing newspaper owner who finds himself in a compromising position when some disgruntled readers decide to pay him a visit.'

Mark and us : http://britcits.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/stop-sponging-off-migrants-httpstwitter.html

Meetup event : http://www.meetup.com/BritCits/events/151745092/
---

High court judge rules against Nigerian man Isa Muazu, who is near death after 90-day protest while awaiting deportation :
http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2013/nov/19/hunger-striker-loses-freed-immigration-detention-centre-muazu

https://twitter.com/DetentionAction :
'We are deeply saddened by the High Court decision to refuse to release the hunger striker from immigration detention. We are very worried.
Isa came to the UK fearing for his life, it's heart breaking that he may die on a mattress on the floor of an immigration detention centre.'

https://twitter.com/EiriOhtani :
'Home Office can choose life. But is choosing death for this man in #detention centre by not releasing him. '

Filipino groups in the UK relief efforts for victims of Typhoon Yolanda/Haiyan


For all British citizens, and Filipinos in the UK, who have family members in the Philippines. How to donate, and also websites for finding missing family members.

http://www.kanlungan.org.uk/typhoon-haiyan-relief-monitor/

RELIEF MONITOR

An emergency meeting of the Filipino community last week was attended by different organisations to consolidate efforts from the community and individuals in the UK. We would like to share with you action points from the meeting.

HERE ARE WAYS YOU CAN HELP:

 1.   Support Kanlungan Filipino Consortium’s online relief drive

All proceeds will be donated to Rural Missionaries Philippines (RMP), a non-government national organisation very active in disaster response campaigns on the ground. Please check the link for details:

www.kanlungan.org.uk/2013/typhoon-yolanda

You can donate in a number of ways:

A.     Direct to Rural Missionaries Philippines by following instructions on their website.
B.     Through Kanlungan’s PayPal (reference: Haiyan/Yolanda) here
C.     Through cheque payable to Kanlungan or via BACS (put reference: Haiyan/Yolanda) to:

Unity Trust Bank
A/C Name: Kanlungan Filipino Consortium
Sortcode: 08-60-01
A/C: 20063771

Post cheques to:

Kanlungan Filipino Consortium
Caxton Community Centre
129 St. John’s Way
London N19 3RQ

RMP are also working with other NGO’s and disaster response networks (such as SAGIP Migrante, BALSA, and SAGIP Kanayunan) to ensure that donations go directly to the needy, especially those who are devastated in the hard-to-reach rural areas.

2.    Donate in kind

A.     Pio Abad and RJ Fernandez are collecting donations in kind over the next week. The Royal Academy has kindly agreed to serve as drop off point for donations and LBC will send them to the affected areas free of charge
If you can donate any of the following, it will be much appreciated:
-        Clothing (for adults and children)
-        Flip flops
-        Blankets
-        Multivitamins for children and water purification tablets
-        Torches with batteries

There will be collection boxes at the reception of the Royal Academy Schools (entrance is behind the Royal Academy of Art):

Royal Academy Schools,
Burlington Gardens,
Piccadilly,
London W1J 0BD
Open Monday to Friday 8-9, Saturday 11-4

If you need collection, please e-mail pio_a@yahoo.com.

B.     The Filipino Domestic Workers Association (FDWA-UK) are also collecting donations in kind and have started their collection boxes last weekend. The relief goods will be coursed through Migrante International’s SAGIP Migrante
Kindly contact their officers for details:
Email: fdwa.uk@gmail.com or
Phoebe Dimacali     07400 222600
Shiela Tilan            07557 259146
Eva Mayor              07881 950184

C.    LBC Cargo Company free shipping of relief goods to Philippine Red Cross

LBC is requesting to bring the goods to their warehouse in London (North Acton) and they will pack them. They will have a group of volunteers on 30th November 2013 who will organise and pack all the goods. If the donors can pack themselves then it will have to be same items in each box ie: all tin food in a box, etc.  LBC said that it’s more manageable if goods are in boxes as once they arrive in the Philippines, Red Cross won’t need to sort them out again.
Red Cross Philippines is discouraging donation of clothes.
Contact LBC at 02031 100 074

3.     We encourage setting up your own initiative/relief effort in your local community

A.     Lingap Filipino Association’s Christmas Party – 6 Dec 2013
Lingap Filipino Association will be having their Christmas Party and there will be a fundraiser for victims of Typhoon Yolanda/Haiyan
When: 6 December 2013
Where: Umi Hotel, 16 Leinster Square, London W2 4PR
Tickets: Adult £15 / Children 8-12yrs £8 / Children under 8 FREE
Contact:
Estela         07714 255301
Pina           07912 652626
Nollie          07808881648

B.     Set-up collection buckets in your hospital or workplace. You can use this for the buckets. Please consider Kanlungan’s beneficiary Rural Missionaries of the Philippines for the proceeds.
NB: If you have any relief effort/initiative you would like publicised or need help with, please contact us

FOR FILIPINO MIGRANTS IN THE UK AFFECTED BY THE TYPHOON:

1.   Finding lost family members

There are helpful links and tracking services that have been opened which can be useful to you:
http://www.inquirer.net/philippine-typhoon-news
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/525489/partial-list-of-yolanda-survivors
http://www.philstar.com/nation/2013/11/15/1255487/partial-list-yolanda-survivors-updated
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/16aq0AH-OnEE_bM53iL5qInqHPZ28lntEXPs-rS01a88/viewform
http://www.reliefph.com/

Viber and Skype also offer free calls to the Philippines.

Alternatively, you can email kanlungan96_uk@yahoo.co.uk, text 07538 797963 or message Kanlungan Filipino Consortium on Facebook with as much detail as you can about your relatives including:

Full name, Last known address including Brgy, Contact numbers, etc.
and we will forward them to Migrante International Home Office, which are currently trying every effort to help OFWs find their loved ones. To date, they have reunited 6 OFW relatives from this effort.

 2.   Compassionate leave/extended annual leave/other means of support from employers and your union

Kanlungan, in a press statement, called for compassion for Filipino migrant workers who are affected by the catastrophe.

A.     If you are a member of a union, please contact your union representative
B.     If you are a UNISON member, please contact  Susan Cueva, s.cueva@unison.co.uk, 07903024201
C.     If you are not a member of any union, please contact Kanlungan at kanlungan96_uk@yahoo.com or call us 07538 797963 for assistance.

Philippines typhoon appeal

Kanlungan, an Alliance of Filipino organisations in the UK and a UK registered charity (and part of the Divided Families Campaign), has a long standing partnership in the Philippines with the Rural Missionaries in the Philippines (RMP)  in relation to relief and rehabilitation work. The RMP is a progressive community development charity organisation which works with local community organisations in the typhoon-affected areas of the Philippines.

If you are able to donate, please go to website:  http://www.kanlungan.org.uk/2013/typhoon-yolanda/ and donate via Paypal link.

You can also send cheques to Kanlungan using the details below. By sending 5 or 10 pounds donation directly to Philippines bank account is expensive and complicated but small amounts could easily be collected via local Paypal set up by UK organisation. Kanlungan is in contact with a UK remittance company which will send the money to the Philippines for free.

Kanlungan would like to appeal to the Filipino community in the UK as well the British public to support ongoing emergency response and evacuation campaigns in the Philippines.

All proceeds will be donated to http://www.rmp-nmr.org/campaigns/2013/11/08/call-support-our-emergency-response, RMP a non-government organisation very active in disaster response campaigns on the ground. You can check their relief and disaster response operations on https://www.facebook.com/rmpnmr.inc?fref=ts. You can donate in a number of ways:
  
1. Direct to http://www.rmp-nmr.org/campaigns/2013/11/08/call-support-our-emergency-response by following instructions on their website
2. Through Kanlungan’s PayPal (reference: Haiyan/Yolanda) here (or button below).
3. Through cheque payable to Kanlungan or via BACS (put reference: Haiyan/Yolanda) to:
Unity Trust Bank                                          
A/C Name: Kanlungan Filipino Consortium
Sortcode: 08-60-01
A/C: 20063771
Email: kanlungan_96@yahoo.co.uk ;
Call:  +447 (0) 7538 7963

Kanlungan and the Divided Families Campaign, 9th July 2012 :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPR23kPO6E4

The Big Picture : Aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan :
http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2013/11/aftermath_of_typhoon_haiyan.html

Kanlungan : Super Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda response.

http://www.kanlungan.org.uk/2013/typhoon-yolanda/

'Kanlungan would like to appeal to the Filipino community in the UK as well the British public to support ongoing emergency response and evacuation campaigns in the Philippines.

'All proceeds will be donated to Rural Missionaries Philippines, a non-government organisation very active in disaster response campaigns on the ground. You can check their relief and disaster response operations on https://www.facebook.com/rmpnmr.inc?fref=ts.'

(Kanlungan, the Filipino community coalition, has been a great friend and ally ain our struggle for family justice).
---

The day the goon squad came for Newbury's illegal immigrants.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/immigration/10436126/The-day-the-goon-squad-came-for-Newburys-illegal-immigrants.html
---

British immigration laws accused of dividing families.

http://www.weeklyzaman.com/en/newsDetail_getNewsById.action?newsId=8149

'Immigration laws brought in last year are dividing families, forcing British citizens to live in exile to be with their spouses from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) or to live apart from them in order to try and fulfil stringent visa application conditions, according to organisations that work with immigrants and international families in the UK.'

Typhoon Haiyan: at least 10,000 reported dead in Philippine province

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/nov/10/typhoon-haiyan-thousands-dead-philippines

Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda crisis and relief map :
http://google.org/crisismap/a/gmail.com/TyphoonYolanda

Organizations offering relief to Typhoon Haiyan survivors :
http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/11/09/21386694-how-to-help-organizations-offering-relief-to-typhoon-haiyan-survivors

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.'

Clint

“I have started to blame myself for not earning £18,600. Not many security guards do though.”

Clint is a British citizen from St. Ives, Cambridgeshire. His wife of nearly three years, and five month old baby, who is eligible for British citizenship, are in the Philippines. Clint’s family would holiday in the Philippines for a few weeks every year so it wasn’t a surprise when Clint fell in love there.

As a security guard, Clint earns around £14,000 a year. This is less than the £18,600 the government has mandated he must earn if he wants to live with his wife.

Clint wishes to live in the UK with his family. He needs to be here for his parents – his dad is a British pensioner and his mum, also from the Philippines came to England in October 1984. She has worked her whole life as Clint is certain his wife will as well. This is not a family that expects handouts or is afraid of hard work.

He wishes to live here with his family because it is his right to do so. He wishes for his daughter to have the same quality upbringing and standard of life he was afforded, and one which all British children are entitled to.

They do not need to depend on benefits. As an only child, Clint’s parents have made it clear that their family home will pass to Clint, in which to raise his own family.

Clint has started to blame himself for not earning £18,600. Even though it’s not his fault. He is earning what others in his profession are paid.

This is a family considering exercising their treaty rights elsewhere in the EU just to be together as a family. So Clint is saving up in order to move countries just to have his wife and daughter back with him.

David

“It took 8 months for UKBA to process my wife’s application..and we had to jump through hoops to prove we had a real marriage in spite of having a child together. So my complete sympathy is with others going through the process.”

David is a British citizen who has personally been affected by the new immigration rules.

Since David married his Filipina wife nearly three years ago, the British government has made their lives a misery; causing unnecessary stress, worry and suffering in trying to prove that their marriage is genuine even though they have a son together. David finds this outrageous and ridiculous – how can you ‘prove’ you are in a genuine marriage if the proof of a child is insufficient?

They had to submit David’s passport while his wife’s application for indefinite leave was being considered; they had to send countless documents and fill out lots of forms. They had to pay an extortionate amount of money even for applying for his wife to remain in the country that is that of her husband’s and son’s.

Although David is in the fortunate position of having received a successful decision on his wife’s application, it was after eight months of stress, worry and anxiety. His complete sympathy goes out to all families that affected caught in the complicated web of these immigration rules.

A desperate husband writes to his MP

And we are sharing the letter here. It summarises the pain and desperation felt by those affected by the rules, as well as the stonewalling from the government's apologists.

At his request, this submission is anonymous, but we felt it important to share.

'Dear 

'Thank you for your letter dated 25^th June relating to family migration. I have written to you a few times this year as one of your constituents regarding my current situation in that I am unable to meet the £18,600 criteria. What saddens me is that you only quote back to me things I already know, having been in this nightmare scenario for the past  year. I have researched this and lived with this every day so am more than acquainted with the rules, most politicians will not address the actual facts and implications surrounding these rules. Firstly anyone living outside of the EU who wishes to come to live with their spouse or partner has clearly stamped  in their passport ….NO  RECOURSE TO PUBLIC FUNDS….this has been the case even before the new rules. So how can the government say the rulings are in place to make sure that your partner is not a burden on the state. If they have no recourse to public funds whatsoever how does that make them a burden on the state? they have no rights to the NHS without paying for it, they are not eligible for benefits of any kind until they get permanent residency.

'What irritates me greatly is that I was born in Lincolnshire and lived all over the country during my 57 years and now find myself in the position that I am at a total disadvantage compared to someone coming from the EU into this country. They can come to the UK and have recourse to public funds, they have no ridiculously high visa fees to pay during entry to the UK and further fees during a further five year period to pay either. They do not have to prove over a five year period that their marriage is genuine and jump through so many hoops in order to have a family life here. Why can’t common sense be applied? I was born here paid my taxes and national insurance, worked hard and then to be told that to enable me to have a family life here it now comes with a price tag attached. I should be allowed to marry who I choose to marry and have a happy life, not be targeted because the only way to bring down the immigration figures for the government can only be achieved by targeting people from outside the EU knowing full well they cannot target those from within Europe as they have freedom of movement.

'You mentioned the MAC report in your letter, but it does not take into account the different areas of the country that people live in. You are only too aware that within  Lincolnshire the £18,600 threshold would not be meet by a large proportion of people due to the salaries that are paid in this part of the country, yet families here manage on the salaries that are paid here, we can’t all be living in London and the south of the country for obvious reasons.

'I know find myself in this ridiculous position of still being self- employed and having to apply for jobs all over the country simply to to meet this new criteria. This week I had an interview in Coventry for a Design Studio Manager and had to go through the process of three interviews. I was slightly embarrassed when I was asked why I wanted to move from Lincolnshire and why at this time I wanted to not work for myself and work for an employer. I was honest enough from the outset and told them that I had to meet certain rules now to enable me to get married here in the UK and have a family life here, and salary was the main criteria I had to have to achieve this. I passed all the interviews and was asked to contact them the next day for my thoughts on the job, sadly I did not get the position solely because I was unable to relocate quickly enough and start work next week. That day cost me over £98 in train fares and taxis, money I can ill afford to lose having just my savings to live off every week. This is the crazy situation that this government has forced me into.

'What this government fails to take into account is the personal cost in human terms. This situation is a living nightmare for me, I have sleep problems, constantly worry, I am a virtual recluse spending every waking hour on my laptop applying for jobs, I barely have contact with people any more because my total focus is trying to get my fiancée to be with me here so we can get married and have a happy life, it surely is not asking too much is it?

'On a final note, Christmas Day I sat here all alone and did wonder about people like yourself, sat around your dining table with your family having a happy time. In comparison I had nothing, and had the worse Christmas imaginable, spending it apart from the woman I love dearly. I looked out of my window and my new- eastern European neighbours who had recently arrived in the UK were receiving their visitors, and for once in my life I was envious of someone else. Food for thought indeed!

Yours sincerely

Your constituent 

Amanda

'I too am in the same situation as many others. I have a partner who is a Filipino and together we have a one-year-old son.

'My son and I are both British citizens.

'We are in despair over the new visa rule that I must earn £18,600 for my partner to be able to enter the UK.

'I do work but I don't earn this amount, it's impossible to do so when I am really classed as a single mother in this country.'

Women, young people and non-Londoners most affected by changes to family immigration policy : http://www.migrationobservatory.ox.ac.uk/press-releases/women-young-people-and-non-londoners-are-most-affected-changes-family-migration-polic 

 Amanda's story highlight the discriminatory impact of the rules on women in particular.

They also highlight the stupidity of the argument that the rules are about protecting the taxpayer. How does forcing a woman into single parenthood protect the taxpayer?

From the comments

'Hi Guys. I feel for you so much.

'My wife is Filipino. We live in the UK and she recently managed to get FLR for the first time, but we still have this threat over us for the next 5 years.

'At the moment I earn enough money, so we are fortunate, but who knows where we will be in 5 years time.

'I just don't see how this law they implemented can be legal, to keep families apart in this way.

'Best of luck to you both. '

In response to Clyde and XuDan's story : http://britcits.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/clyde-and-xudan-our-family-is.html

British mother had abortion 'because of visa rules' - more stories

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-22868332

(UK/Philippines)
I earned over £40,000 the year my husband came to the UK with me. But my job is off-shore and if I got pregnant I could not work. There's no crèche out at sea and taking a year off just wasn't an option.

Whatever other work I might have been able to get in my village, I still couldn't have earned enough to satisfy the new rules. So I panicked.

My doctor said: "This is disgusting. This could be the last time you could have children." But I didn't feel I had a choice. I came out of the doctors crying - a married woman shouldn't have to cry and be forced into a decision like that.
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(UK/Lebanon)
Sometimes the children don't want to speak with their father on Skype as they are so angry that I can't give them a date for his return.

We married 10 years ago but it was 8 December when we were last together. He has missed Christmas, birthdays and important milestones with his children.

It's caused major emotional strain and I suffered a miscarriage without him present. I was under a huge amount of stress at the time.

I work in human trafficking services and I'm called in when victims need support. Elie is a minister in the Baptist church. I work part-time to look after our four children - all under eight - and because Elie isn't here I have to rely on benefits to survive.
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(UK/Japan)
We've been married for nine years. Hazel is three and we're expecting another child in July. We want our children to experience both cultures - Hazel has a British passport. But if we wanted to return the new rules dictate that we can only do so if I become the breadwinner, depriving my young children of invaluable time with their mother.

Am I supposed to come to England without my family, for six months? Because that's what the rules say. My husband would be a single parent. It's crazy.
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(UK/Chile)
We find ourselves effectively exiled from our own country. We have significant savings, but not enough to make the £62,500 we need under the rules.

I am working as a translator in three languages but have always planned to take time to look after our baby. He has lived the first few months of his life in a children's home and I want to give him all the love and cuddles the world has forced him to miss out on.

Separating is not an option for us. We have a strong marriage and would never stay apart and risk our baby's stability and our wellbeing for the sake of these financial rules.

Wayne and Daisy

Wayne tells his story :

'I met my the woman who is now my wife online in 2010. As soon as I saw her I knew she was my special person. I had to know everything about her.

'She was living and working in Denmark as an au pair. We soon became a couple.

'We put in for two visit visa. Disappointingly, this was turned down. She got a job in Norway - and I asked her to marry me. She said yes!

'She owns land in the Philippines, so we then decide to build a house there. She returned home for a six month while we sorted out the wedding paperwork (no mean feat!).

'We got married, and we lived together for the next six months, during which time she became pregnant. The baby is due the last week of September.

 Our wedding in Mindanao. Can you believe the Foreign Office advises against all but essential travel here!

'I've now come home try to find work in Torbay - which is hard in the current economy. I don't think I will be able to meet the £18,600 income requirement, especially in the area where I live.

'But I own my own - four bedroomed - house outright. How many people can say that! I don't need a lot to live on - unlike someone with a huge rent. And I'm self employed. I contribute to the economy!

Tenerife.

'I am a handyman, window cleaner and builder. I work hard, and so does my wife.

'My wife is college graduate midwife. She finished top of her class. She was also a sergeant major in her local reservists when she was at school. That one made me giggle as she is so small bless. Do I not hear the UK needs midwives? Well at least she can train me how to deliver our baby if we had to somewhere in Europe!

First trip to the Philippines.

'I am thinking of taking up my European free movement rights as that would enable us to live together anywhere in Europe. We both have connections to Denmark, so could life there. But it's unfair to us to have to live away from home for so long, with so much disruption.

'I have a 13 year old daughter already, so it would mean being away from her for even longer. And the rest of my family. So unfair!

Daisy with Wayne's daughter.

'I forgot to say - I love my wife so much. She really is so perfect and well worth all the troubles and hassles life has to chuck at us.


'Fingers crossed for our European rights now!'

 

 Union Jack sunglasses.

Amsterdam. Enjoying free movement rights!

Update 20/May/2013 :

An update from Wayne :

'I forgot to say that my mum has been fighting cancer. She has had many ops.

'She is constantly in and out of hospital with complications and her wish is to be able to live long enough to be able to welcome Daisy and the baby into the family.

'Fingers crossed that she lives long enough. She has been in hospital last week with yet more blood clots, this time in her lungs.

'Daisy will be so pleased to see people trying to help and that there are so many others like us now.'

Update II 20/May 2013 :

Another update from Wayne :

'Might be little good news a very nice kind lady visiting my road here today has said I can go with daisy and live in her house in the French Countryside, so if this is true then be amazing to find a nice English lady with a home there willing to help us out.

'Now the question is how to go about getting all the paperwork in France now we have a Country that looks like it is going to happen, Well in the Countryside so maybe some farm work but the lady needs some building work so how would or could I work that into me working the min 5.5 hrs a week? so happy I gave the lady a bug hug and nearly cried when she said to me.

Neil and Emily

Neil tells his story below. Neil's story has also been covered in the local press : http://www.lep.co.uk/community/shock-as-filipino-wife-faces-being-thrown-out-of-britain-1-5505434

Neil's story highlights the nature of the attack - from both the rules and the way the rules are applied -  on the concept of British citizenship; the rights of the British citizen to live in his or her homeland; as well as the core values of family and normal human relationships.

'MY NAME is Neil, a British Citizen married to a Philippine citizen, Emily. I first met Emily whilst working in the United Arab Emirates, and we dated for several years before finally deciding to commit to marriage. In October 2011, we were married in Abu Dhabi and, not long after the wedding, to our delight, we found that Emily was expecting our first child. Naturally, this joyous news saw us begin to plan a new future as we looked forward to embracing the challenges of parenthood.

After our beautiful baby girl, Lucy, was born, we decided to visit the UK and introduce the new arrival to my large family in the North West of England. As you can imagine, they were desperate to meet my wife and daughter. We applied for a visitor visa for Emily and, when the application was successful, booked our flights and returned home for a visit.

Unfortunately, I soon received bad news concerning my job and I was forced to leave the company that I worked with for 15 years, in London and the UAE. With a baby girl to look after, we had to rethink our future plans and find a way to provide for our beloved daughter because, like any parents, we want the best for our child.

After some discussion, we decided that the best option for Lucy would be to return to my hometown of Preston. Apart from providing a safe environment amongst my large, loving family, had the interests of our beloved child at heart. We felt that Lucy would benefit from the world-renowned English education system - the education system I was schooled in, in my homeland, as a British citizen. I soon found new employment and we looked forward to embracing family life in my hometown.

I researched the process of moving back to the UK and dutifully gathered together the relevant documentation needed. On November 20th, 2012, we submitted a visa application for Emily, asking for leave to remain in the UK as the spouse of a British citizen. After a long wait, we finally received a reply from the UK Border Agency, on Monday 11th March, 2013, and we were horrified to read that our application had been denied. The words “Decision to Refuse to Vary Leave to Enter or Remain,’ burned into my mind as the wonderful future we had planned tumbled to the ground.

The three spurious grounds for rejection were:

1. Our marriage is not recognised as a valid marriage in the UK

2. We provided no evidence of the existence of our daughter, Lucy

3. Emily was granted leave to remain as a visitor and, therefore, does not meet the requirements of E-LTRP 2.1

I protest against these three grounds for a number of reasons.

1) Firstly, according to the information given on the UKBA’s own website, our marriage is valid in the UK despite the denials of the Border Agency. According to the website:

“In most cases a marriage certificate will provide satisfactory evidence that a marriage has taken place.”

Our marriage meets all of the requirements for a legal marriage in the UAE and we also made sure that our marriage certificate was verified, approved, and stamped by the British Embassy. This cost us time and money and, as yet, the UKBA has not had the decency to return our certificate, which is an ongoing concern.

2) In response to the UKBA’s ridiculous claim that my daughter does not exist, I can prove her existence and also demonstrate that she is a registered British Citizen with a British passport. I have the original birth certificate, written in English and Arabic, and we also went to the extra expense and cost of notifying the Consulate General at the British Embassy in Dubai, for which we received an official certificate. My question is, if this is the case, why did the UKBA fail to find information which has already been submitted to representatives of the British Government?

3) I am perplexed by the third point because, according to the information I read on the official website, we did nothing wrong. I am still at a loss to explain why the Border Agency is using a technicality to punish us. I visited the Citizens’ Advice Bureau and they also struggled to understand this third point of contention.

In the words of the UKBA, they plan to ‘remove’ my wife from the UK and send her back to the Philippines  if we do not appeal against this unfair decision. They have also told us that, should the appeal fail, my wife will not be able to return to the UK for another 10 years. Emily is my wife and the mother of my daughter, so what are we supposed to do?

This decision forces us to make a number of stark choices: we either have to accept that our family will be broken up by the actions of the UKBA, or I will be forced to leave my own country in order to keep my wonderful family together.

Apart from the stress that this is causing us, the action is also costing a lot of time and money.

All I want is to end this nightmare, and this injustice, to me and my daughter. We are British citizens, and we should be treated as citizens. And our family, our values, should also be respected and cherished - not dismissed.'