'Love Letters to the Home Office' at the Edinburgh Festival


Via:Katharine / Love Letters to the Home Office

There will be a one-off reading of the Love Letters to the Home Office show this Thursday 13th August at 10.30pm at the Edinburgh Festival.  It is in the Paines Plough ROUNDABOUT venue at Summerhall.

Tickets are only £4 for families affected by the Rules (no proof required - the organisers trust that divided families are who they say they are) so do please let divided families in the Edinburgh area know about the show. Please do also share on social media.

Here's the link to the show, and tickets can be bought here too:

http://festival15.summerhall.co.uk/event/love-letters-to-the-home-office/

Love Letters to the Home Office on Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/lovelettershome

Previous posts about Love Letters Home / the White Feather Campaign : http://britcits.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/love%20letters%20to%20the%20home%20office 

Stories from the book : http://lovelettershome.org/stories/stories-book/

Angus woman wins fight to stay in UK


Source :Arbroath Herald

http://www.arbroathherald.co.uk/news/local-news/angus-woman-wins-fight-to-stay-in-uk-1-3647954

Fantastic!

Previously :
http://britcits.blogspot.com/2014/04/dinnae-deport-oor-arbroath-angie-please.html

Thousands of UK families forced to live apart due to visa rules

Source : Workpermit.com via QQ

http://www.workpermit.com/news/2014-10-07/thousands-of-uk-families-forced-to-live-apart-due-to-visa-rules
http://goo.gl/s2Jmuo

'A UK Labour MP has called for income requirements for marriage visas to be reviewed, after being contacted by two families who are being forced to live apart under the current scheme.'

'... The first is Phillip and Kyoko Malloy, who met and married while Mr Malloy was teaching English in Japan. Mr Malloy then returned to the UK with his wife...

'The second family is Mr and Mrs Briggs, who met in New Zealand after Mrs Briggs moved there for work. They married, and settled down happily with successful careers, until Mrs Briggs decided she needed to be closer to family in the UK..'

Divided Families Scotland - demo outside Holyrood


Source : Dinnae Deport Oor Arbroath Angie / Divided Families Scotland

Thanks to Angie for sharing these!

More flyers for the demo : http://britcits.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/flyers-for-this-saturdays-demonstration.html

Flyers for this Saturday's demonstration in Edinburgh


Created by :Tania

More information : http://britcits.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/divided-families-scotland-demonstration.html

Outside Scottish Parliament Building (EH99 1SP) on Saturday 18th October 2014 at 12:00 noon.

Divided Families Scotland on Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/groups/416927848454512/

Divided Families Scotland is on Twitter

https://twitter.com/DividedFamScot - give them a follow!

Don't forget the demonstration outside Holyrood this Saturday! : http://britcits.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/divided-families-scotland-demonstration.html 
 

Divided Families Scotland - demonstrate outside Holyrood this Saturday 18th October

Negatively affected by the UKBA?
Denied a visa unjustly?
Separated from a loved one?
Denied a future and life in the UK?

... then we cordially invite you to join our demonstration to make a difference at the Scottish Parliament Building (EH99 1SP) on Saturday 18th October 2014 at 12:00 noon.

Come and make some noise against the discriminatory and unfair immigration rules set by the Home Office against our families. Please bring your families, brothers, sisters, neighbours, friend, grannies, to shout and support us. Let our voices be heard!

Our families are not a minority, and in fact, these rules cand and will be affecting more and more families each day.

Bring your banners, photos, collages etc to make the demo more colourfully displayed.

Flyers by our members and supporters Fran, Tania and Angie :

 

Family Christmas denied!

United by love - divided by the Home Office!

Divided Families Scotland on Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/groups/416927848454512/


More ideas for flyers : http://britcits.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/flyers

Divided Families Scotland

MeetUp 20th September 2014

Hi guys,

First of all, thank you for making it to our meetup that took place 20th September in Glasgow.
It was a great turn up and valuable opportunity to have stories heard and share tips among members affected by the Immigration Rules. Without you, we wouldn't be able to deliver the chance to hear and be heard and most of all, the support that each one of us need when struggling against such discriminatory rules. Definitely you are not alone!

I am sorry that I took long in update you all with the minutes that I wrote down during the meeting, I find myself often disrupted by daily life, and I hope you don't think I had forgotten about you all,

Our meetup took place in Glasgow inside a little cafe called Carlton Studios. Thumbs up to the owner who let us used their facilities with no issues.

Those who attended made great input in our conversation. Members started sharing their stories straight away after introducing themselves. Many of us, felt very moved by hearing some of the atrocities some families are put through this fight against Immigration Rules.

I also shared a piece on Britics work with members, so they know what work they have done and how much support and other stories are here in this blogging site.

Members also discussed possibilities of SS route, the pros and cons, tips and rules in this journey.

Exemptions of the rules were brought up, for those who can claim DLA and other benefits.

And lastly, we agreed in carrying out a demonstration to coincide with the London Demo for Divided Families, 18th October outside the doors of the Scottish Parliament at 12 pm.
Event has been created under Divided Families Scotland and also I love my Foreign Spouse Facebook groups.

Event under Divided Families Scotland
https://www.facebook.com/events/285046821703369/?context=create&source=49

Event under I Love My Foreign Spouse
https://www.facebook.com/events/603493756428020/

Two demos could definitely have such impact that our presences can not then be ignored. We have many talented member that will make of this event a very especial one.

The meetup was a success and hearing people's stories made made realize that we all have something in common, great strength!
We will be holding many more in the future so please sign up to our MeetUp page so you dont miss out. Remember, you are not alone!

You can also share your stories here by emailing britcits@gmail.com or contacting Steven Green or me:D

Best regards and always love and light to each one of you

Francisca (Fran)

Divided Families Scotland MeetUp event

Hi everyone,

My name is Francisca and I would like to introduce myself as a new blogger and event organizer for BritCits based in Scotland.

I recently opened a Facebook group called "Divided Families Scotland" which you can find on the following link:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/416927848454512/

Divided Families Scotland is  group to support those who are struggling to meet the income requirement set by the UK's immigration system and are currently living in Scotland. We are here to support in good faith.

Please join us if you have been affected by the income threshold and live in Scotland.

I will be hosting our next Scotland MeetUp event that will take place on Saturday 20th September
at 12 pm . Please join us on the following link for more info: http://www.meetup.com/BritCits/events/203660542/

Hoping to see new faces on the day.

Best wishes

Francisca

Surinder Singh and Scotland

Hi guys

Hope summer has been good to you.  Some updates:

MM case
Last week the lawyers involved indicated they were still waiting on legal aid approval.  There is some confidence that this will be granted, as will permission to appeal to Supreme Court, possibly for a hearing in February next year. However nothing is for certain yet.  More to come when more is known.

Surinder Singh

Please find here the first version of the Surinder Singh country specific guide.  This collates experience of some members (my sincere thanks to these people) who have exercised treaty rights in various member states, covering Residence Card application process to rentals; from best places to find a job to supermarkets; from mobile phone networks to issues faced in opening a bank account.  There is currently substantive information for Czech Republic, Greece, Ireland and Malta. 

Some have put their hand up to be in-country mentors to those who need more help and these mentors will also organise local meetups.

There are lots of gaps still to be filled in (especially for Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Spain) so pls do your bit to help us help others by dropping me an email with some pointers along the lines of what you have learnt, what you wish you had known before embarking on your SS journey etc  It doesn't have to be major - can even be something as small as recommended restaurants!

If you have any experience you wish to share or are keen to be a mentor, please let me know.

Amended versions will be uploaded to the BritCits website and http://www.scribd.com/doc/239558037/Surinder-Singh-country-specific-guide  If you have trouble downloading from this website let me know and we will email you the latest soft copy.

Scotland independence referendum

Next week as you're aware is the Scottish independence referendum.  A lot is in the media about what people north and south of the border feel would be best.  Not much however seems to have been said from the perspective of migrants - which is where you guys come in.  You could be the first or second generation migrant; have migrant parents or be the migrant partner.

If this is you, it would be great if you could spend just five minutes this weekend to write a paragraph or two (max 400 words) on the emotions evoked by the words British as opposed to say English, Scottish, Welsh, Irish.  Which one/(s) do you identify with?

This is for Politics.co.uk so please send your contributions to us to forward on, or to them directly, no later than Sunday.

HAGW.

Sonel

For all content on mailers sent out this month, see: http://www.scribd.com/word/document_edit/239570170

Irony

Via : I love my foreign spouse (Facebook support group)

 

Families that have been ripped apart : http://britcits.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/stories

Kilwinning dad reveals campaign to change UK immigration rules keeping his family apart 

Source : Daily Record (Scotland)

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/local-news/kilwinning-dad-reveals-campaign-change-4164196

'Phillip Malloy has begun a campaign to call on the UK Government to review changes to immigration law that are keeping his wife and son on the other side of the world. He first met his wife Kyoko at a Halloween party in Japan five years ago, where he was working as an English teacher. The couple married in 2011 and began to build a life together with their son Joshua, now three years old. But what should have been the start of a dream life turned quickly into a nightmare after UK rules on immigration were tightened up in July 2012.'

Phillip and Kyoko's e-petition is here :
http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/62657

Previous post  :
http://britcits.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/scots-father-reveals-his-heartache-as.html

Divided Families - Scotland


https://www.facebook.com/groups/416927848454512/

Support group for divided families north of the border.

This group is co-ordinated by our very own Fran.

A rare apology

Regular readers may recall the story of our supporter Francisca from a couple of months ago :

http://britcits.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/clusterflock-today-i-learned-that-our.html

The government picked up an image of Francisca's daughter - a young girl they tried to effectively deport - for a campaign about dividing families. Without her permission. Or the photographer's permission.

 http://pic.twitter.com/E0O4S9x9Ci

Hence a subsequent twitterstorm, as well as the Daily Record (which had campaigned for Francisca's right to remain in the UK) weighing in.

Francisca tweets here, if you'd like to follow her : https://twitter.com/PanxaUrra

Well, today Francisca got a written apology - finally. Unfortunately the government is trying to pin it on outsourced staff outside the UK (nothing like a little bit of xenophobia there). Nonetheless, this is quite something :

Francisca's family's story :
http://britcits.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/francisca

Migrants' Rights Network: £18,600 income requirement: pricing UK workers out of a family life

http://www.migrantsrights.org.uk/blog/2014/06/18600-income-requirement-pricing-uk-workers-out-family-life

MRN: '... A few weeks ago, we were contacted by a lady called Margaret, who lives in South Wales. Margaret has worked for the past decade as a legal secretary for a private solicitors firm, earning £13,500 a year. However, her salary is not considered adequate in order to sponsor her Tunisian husband to enter the UK, and so they are living apart for the foreseeable future...

'...  Margaret is not the only person whose earnings are too low to meet the rules and be with her husband. 47% of the working population are reportedly unable to sponsor a loved one, on the basis of their earnings. Because £18,600 is considerably higher than the national minimum wage (approximately £13,200 per annum at a full time rate), some people, like Margaret, are in full-time employment and still fail to meet the rules.

'But, crucially, where you live and work in the UK is a significant determiner of your ability to live with a foreign partner. New research by MRN, released today, shows that being able to live with your non-EU spouse is now essentially subject to a postcode lottery.'

Full report: http://www.migrantsrights.org.uk/files/publications/MRN_Family-Migration_Briefing-June_2014.pdf

Immigration rules could tear dad away from two kids

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/local-news/immigration-rules-could-tear-dad-3513194

'A distraught couple face being split up by immigration chiefs ... just weeks before their second child is born.

'Lyndsey Burke and her long-term boyfriend Tugrul Keseli, both 29, are heartbroken after the Home Office turned down his plea for a visa extension.

'Tugrul – known to friends as Tom – missed the birth of their daughter Alara three years ago after being refused permission to come to Scotland from his native Turkey.

'He was later able to travel here on a holiday visa and the couple have been living together in Linwood since 2011.

'However, the latest ruling means Tugrul could be deported before their second daughter, who is due to be born on May 23, arrives.

'Lyndsey told the Paisley Daily Express: “We’re just numbers on a sheet of paper to the people who made this decision.'


Please sign Lyndsey and Tom's petition :
https://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/upper-tribunal-stop-putting-a-price-tag-on-love-and-rights-to-be-a-family-in-the-uk 
 
Previously :
http://britcits.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/stop-putting-price-tag-on-love-and.html

Linwood Couple: Let Us Stay Together

http://www.heart.co.uk/scotland/news/local/linwood-couple-let-us-stay-together/

' A Renfrewshire couple are facing the prospect of being split up by the Home Office, weeks before their second child is due.

'Lyndsey Burke and Tugrul Keseli, who're both 29, live in Linwood with their 3-year-old daughter Alara and have been together since 2008. Tugrul, known as Tom, is Turkish, and is fighting to stay in Scotland.

'Lyndsey said: ''To bring this to your door three weeks before you're due to give birth I think is just cruel. They absolutely know every detail, they know everything that's going on. Just absolutely devastating.''

Lyndsey and Tom's petition :
https://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/upper-tribunal-stop-putting-a-price-tag-on-love-and-rights-to-be-a-family-in-the-uk

 

Previously :
http://britcits.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/stop-putting-price-tag-on-love-and.html

Stop putting a price tag on love and rights to be a family in the UK

https://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/upper-tribunal-stop-putting-a-price-tag-on-love-and-rights-to-be-a-family-in-the-uk

Lyndsey and Tom's campaign to keep their family together. Please do sign their petition.

Lyndsey writes :

'For my family, changing these rules would mean that Tom is able to stay here in the UK to provide both financially and emotionally for his family, and to be a full time dad to our three-year old daughter Alara.

'Our second daughter could arrive any day and instead of embracing the joy of our family becoming four of us, we spend everyday on countdown to the Home Office's decision to make him leave and return to Turkey.

'Please sign this and help us to keep our family together and to help change the rules so other families don't suffer as we are.'

Arbroath mother shocked by deportation order

http://www.arbroathherald.co.uk/news/local-news/arbroath-mother-shocked-by-deportation-order-1-3369179

'Angela Smith, mother of two and active member of the Arbroath community, has received shocking news from the Home Office urging her to leave the country immediately.

'Born in Ohio, Ms Smith has lived in Arbroath since 2007 and has had an ongoing battle with the Home Office around gaining permanent residence.

'“This is the third time they’ve tried to toss me out and I’m not putting up with it now,” she told us.

'Following the filing of paperwork for permanent residence, Ms Smith’s work visa expired and she believes the Home Office have let time lapse on her application.

'“Basically they have been sitting on my paperwork for nine months. They have made me illegal by not filing my paperwork in a timely fashion...'


More stories about bureaucracy : http://britcits.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/bureaucracy

Daily Record : Mum's fury after government website publishes picture of girl, 8, who was saved from deportation by Daily Record campaign

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/real-life/mums-fury-after-government-website-3383844

'THE mother of a young girl saved from being kicked out of Scotland by a Daily Record campaign has spoken of her disgust after the youngster’s picture was published on a Government website.

'Francisca Canales, 28, was furious when she saw eight-year-old Millie’s photograph on the Gov.UK website alongside an article about immigration appeals.

'The picture of Millie and two friends was taken by a Record photographer when we highlighted moves to deport Francisca to Chile...'

'... A spokesman for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said: “We are extremely sorry.

“The photograph should never have been used in this way.”'

Previously - Clusterflock :
http://britcits.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/clusterflock-today-i-learned-that-our.html

Francisca, Barry and Millie :
http://britcits.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/barry-francisca-and-millie-francisca.html

Free Movement : The power of connection 
tells the story in tweets :

http://www.freemovement.org.uk/the-power-of-connection/