rebeccajo

Just for clarification, the couple in the article isn't asking for money.

Also for clarification, under the current rules the foreign born spouse has to apply TWO more times after entry before permanent settlement is granted.

One might think it cheeky for this couple to try and skirt the rules. But why? Just because some people are able to meet the requirements, does that make the requirements just? If you think the requirements are unfair, how else are they to change unless those who fall short of the requirements challenge them? The sitting government certainly isn't going to change the rules.

When it comes to immigration, I have gotten over caring if someone can get something I can't/didn't just because they use a different path than I did. At the end of the day if that person ends up "legal" and happy in the land they wish to settle in, good for them. The couple in this article tried to legalize the husband's status. He didn't opt to try and live illegally for years in the UK. IMO, this is what the justice system is for. And is why Justice wears a blindfold while holding the scales.

rebeccajo

I've learned that NI is not included in any statistics regarding the financial requirments. Even advocacy groups do not poll the North when gathering figures for families that wouldn't qualify under the current requirements. Only the mainland is included in the 43 percent figure.

chaoclive

Oh....that's interesting! If they want to add weight to their argument, it would be a good idea to include NI then!

Tr1boy

Don't agree at all. I can't afford an Aston Martin, but by using your logic I just break the law, steal one and then justify it by claiming I chose a 'different path'.

rebeccajo

I like your analogy of a very expensive British sports car as compared to the rules.

Vadio

Just as further clarification, the couple in the article ad the couple posting on UK-Yankee who WERE asking for 'donations' are different couples.

Vadio

I agree with this and your earlier post. The rules should apply to everyone; I am no more 'special' than anyone else, nor are all the moaners who deliberately place themselves and their family into a bad situation and then cry 'foul'.

I personally am not aware of any country with a no-rules, open door policy w/r/t immigration. Why should the UK be the exception? Or the US (my country of birth) for that matter?

rebeccajo

Of course the rules should apply to everyone.

But the rules (in every country) are always open to legal challenge. Or at least they are in democracies.

rebeccajo

Yes?

Vadio

Yes; the UK-Yankee poster was from the US, not South Africa.

Mrs Danvers

The article doesn't say if this family are even taking any benefits from the UK. Does anyone know? For the sake of £3k it doesn't seem worth the separation. I'm a bit sick of the "rules is rules" commentary on this thread. If they were sitting about on benefits I might agree, but it doesn't appear to be the case.

scot47

"Obey the rules, but only if you are on benefits !"

Giantaxe

Part of me says that. But part of me says that these people have no nexus with the UK. It is quite possible that none of them lived in the UK prior to this recent move. For example, we know that the child is not a British citizen, meaning that the mother was not born in the UK.

Having said that I have consistently believed that these income rules are unreasonable.

Mrs Danvers

Maybe you're right and maybe I simply don't know that much about their particular case. I know that I sponsered a spouse back in the nineties on somewhere between £13 and £15k and I couldn't support us both on that wage but within three weeks of being in the UK he secured a job. We never took public funds and that's not what I see this family doing either. That is allegedly what this law is about. Taking public funds.

Bnet36

Now that the rules are in place and have become law we should abide but I do think the main problem is with the influx of newer EU citizens flocking into the UK at such a fast rate that the public services are squeezed. I think that should be the focus now that the non EU immigrants laws are in place.