mrken30

This news story makes UK immigration seem a bit harsh. If this is a Cambridge graduate having issues, hate to think what it is like for the lesser educated person.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics...after-24-years

Ellie95

What is even more astonishing is that she is an EU national.

spouse of scouse

Her husband, Robert, raised another issue: that Europeans married to Britons do not have an automatic right to citizenship. “As a British citizen, I had the expectation that marrying someone from abroad would automatically give them the right to become a British citizen. That seems to be the case unless your wife happens to come from the European Union,” he said

This isn't true. As the Australian wife of a British citizen I have no automatic right to become a British citizen, and no automatic right to live in the UK.

Pollyana

I agree. Its complete rubbish.

Novocastrian

I'm not sure. The lady in question has lived in the Uk for 24 years. married to a UK-EU national and with 2 british sprogs. She applied for UK citizenship as a result of this Brexit crap and got absolutely screwed because she needed to keep a passport (a Dutch one) so as to be able to leave and re-enter the UK (not part of Schengen) to visit her mother in difficult family times.

Way to go England.

Shirtback

Seems to me it's Much Ado about Nothing: she failed to provide required (ID) documentation with her application, has now reapplied/corrected omission with required docs.

BritInParis

Usual clickbait stuff from The Guardian on immigration matters. Takes assertions and assumptions from the lady in question, most of which are wrong, and treats them as facts.

Pollyana

The bolded piece is what I was commentng on

marrying someone from abroad would automatically give them the right to become a British citizen. That seems to be the case unless your wife happens to come from the European Union,”

I assume you are aware how difficult it is to get a non-EU spouse to the UK on a visa these days never mind thinking of citizenship. I was agreeing with S of S.

Pollyana

Based on the inaccuracies in the article I'm sure there is far more to it than face value........

michali

And the BBC just covered the story and did not even mention the fact that she had not submitted her passport! Said the application was refused on a technicality! Well, I would think one of the most important documents to submit would be your passport! I know that there is provision to explain why a passport is not submitted but I would think that would more because it had been stolen, etc. not that you needed to travel. And the husband feels it is easier for non-EU spouses! Really!?

BristolUK

I would hope that a reason for travel would be a factor. There's a difference between going off on a stag weekend and dealing with the family bereavement involved with this woman.

On a general note, I'm also surprised at the reaction to the stated belief that a spouse visa would be a formality. A mistaken belief it may be but it's a very common one. By all means correct it but when someone has actually discovered their belief to be wrong, there's little point in telling them they were wrong.

Editha

I have a French friend who has spent almost all her working life in the UK, around 40 years. She is now coming up to retirement. She and her partner, who is British, were intending to retire to France. Her partner has been learning French for the past few years for that purpose. Now they have no idea whether their retirement dream is possible or not, and her status in the UK is uncertain.

I also have a German friend who is younger but she has also spent most of her working life in the UK. She lost her job during the financial crisis, but managed to get another. Now, because she works in the financial sector, her job is at risk because of Brexit, and she is in the queue for citizenship. She's selling her flat and looking for work in Germany.

Damn everyone who voted Brexit, selfish silly sods.

quiltman

Selective reporting at its best to show government depts in a bad light. No story if they said she had not submitted the required documentation. Clearly states you need to send original passport . As an apparently intelligent lady , she decided NOT to send it with her application so it was automatically rejected.The first thing that happens is that the required documents are checked and if any missing, or incorrect, then an automatic rejection letter is issued.The immigration, passport office etc do not look any further at this point. All she had to do was wait until her family crisis had passed and then submit the docs. She has now re-applied , so a non news story.

Editha

I disagree that it is a 'non news story' (sic). There around three million EU nationals in the UK whose long term status is now uncertain. It is newsworthy and of concern that the civil service does not appear to be prepared to deal with the influx of residency and citizenship applications. It has been calculated that it could take them a quarter of a century to deal with the flood of citizenship applications alone.

Pouring scorn on the woman's failure to realise that her father's terminal illness was not an exceptional circumstance, misses the point that it is Kafkaesque to send an EU national, who has a right to remain here pro tem, a letter telling her to prepare for departure.

In her shoes, I would have probably made the same error. My own friend, who has lived her for over 40 years, is in a similar position, in that she has to make frequent trips to Normandy to care for her nonagenarian father.

michali

I agree the letter was cold but the HO is not well known for compassion! Having been through the experience of two very stressful settlement visas for my husband, I know that if you do not submit everything you are supposed to submit and in its correct form, you can be automatically refused. I do hope that having now submitted all she had to submit, she will be granted her U.K. Citizenship.