“UKBA need to understand that behind all they do to keep our borders safe, are REAL families – British citizens suffering as a result of ‘rules’ supposedly in place to protect us. ”
Sharon is a British citizen living in Wales, where she met her now husband, Salah.
Sharon and Salah had a very happy life together, with Sharon’s daughter taking to Salah immediately. Legal advice they received indicated a spouse visa should be applied from Salah’s country of origin, so the family went to Egypt in September 2011 from where they put in the application along with the multitude of documents required – bank statements, payslips, English language certificate. All the documents had been certified by their solicitor.
In January 2012 they heard back from UKBA, alas, with a refusal. The reason being that the rules had been changed so the English test that Salah had passed was no longer on the “approved list”. The British embassy confirmed the other documents were fine.
So Salah re-took the test, passed again and they submitted the application a week before the dreaded rules came in, in July 2012. Yet again, 3-4 months later they received a response from UKBA, with yet another refusal. The reason for refusal this time was mystifying.
UKBA indicated that Salah had been arrested and deported (not true), and that he only came to UK for money (he didn’t, but this is not relevant any way – UK workers don’t tend to work for free). The advice Sharon and Salah received was that they should go and exercise their rights in another EU country.
Fine in principle, but Sharon was aware that UKBA knew – from documents submitted, that this route wasn’t possible for her given the rights the birth father of her daughter has.
Sharon and Salah have now been living apart for a year with the stress of the situation affecting them. What our government doesn’t seem to understand is that enforcing separation is difficult at the best of times, the uncertainty that comes with not knowing when this separation will end is what causes physical and mental issues, leading to relationships and marriages falling apart.
Indeed, Sharon and Salah are not giving up. They appealed the second refusal, with the British Embassy in Egypt required to respond by 3rd April 2013. Court of Appeals however indicated that the embassy did not respond and therefore now this couple is required to go to court – so another 2 months apart before there is any sort of progress.
The money they have spent is significant – the two visa applications, legal fees, expenses for Sharon to travel to Egypt...
UKBA need to understand that behind all the paperwork they do to keep our borders safe, are REAL families – British citizens suffering as a result of "rules" supposedly in place to protect us.
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