Resistance builds against the Rule Changes
Things are hotting up for the day of action on Parliament we are co-organising with the Migrants’ Rights Network for Monday. We’re marking the introduction of the new family immigration rules laid before Parliament by Theresa May earlier in June with a Day of Action centred on Parliament.
We start things off with a protest at the Home Office, Marsham Street SW1P 4DF at 4.30pm, we will be joined by activists from various groups such as Kanlungan, Action for ESOL and Unison, the trade union.
Right after that, we’re encouraging people to go and see their MP to explain their concerns about these disastrous new rules, how they will affect real lives and the dangers of generating immigration rules when thinking only about numbers and not human beings. Make an appointment to see yours now.
Parliamentary meeting will be packed
After that, perhaps the showpiece event of the day. We’ve been working with MRN and Lord Judd to pull together a meeting in Parliament, we’ve been hard at it, asking MPs and Lords to come and speak, we have people affected by the rules, campaigners and activists from all around. With almost a week to go, we’ve so far received 123 registrations for the meeting. Because of this we are having to move the meeting to the larger Grand Committee Room in Parliament, as the committee room we had previously booked would not be large enough for such an attendance.
We urge you to register for the meeting. A big show of opposition in front oof the Government's very nose is a vital stage in this campaign. The day the rules are implemented does not mark the end of our campaign, it will continue until we achieve justice for all cross-border families, regardless of income.
The new family migration rules: dividing families, disrupting integrationGrand Committee Room, House of Commons 6.30pm Monday 9 July-use St Stephens Gate entrance, be early to get through security.
MPs who have been good enough to accept invitations to speak are:
- Kate Green MP (Labour, Shadow Spokesperson for Women and Equality)
- Keith Vaz MP (Labour, Chair of the Home Affairs Select Committee)
- Fiona McTaggart MP (Labour, Slough)
- Jeremy Corbyn MP (Labour, Islington North)
- George Galloway MP (Respect, Bradford West)
Lords coming along are:
- Lord Judd (Labour)
- Lord Avebury (Lib Dem)
- Lord Dholakia (Lib Dem)
You may have spotted the complete lack of Liberal Democrat MPs attending the meeting. This is despite the fact that we have invited every single one of them to speak. It’s an easy gig, speakers are welcome to come along, say a few words and leave. The meeting is in the same building they work in, but time and again we’re getting replies that diaries are full and previous engagements are looming.
It must be a busy time, playing such a vital role in this inhumane government.
Comments
No Tory MPs! No Lib Dem MPs! That's a shame...well maybe the next coalition will be Tories with BNP. What a proud moment in British history that will be!
I'll be there on Monday at 6pm. See you all then.
Ive been thinking about how the vast majority of people who'll be effected by these changes don't even know that they will be yet, they're working in england or off on gap years or just living in the world, there going to meet someone, want to start a life together and thats when find out.
below is a link to longish thing i wrote about these changes and my family, good luck with the 9th, i wish i could be there.
http://these-are-our-numbers.posterous.com/the-words-after-thereafter
Very good article you wrote Aaron, your situation is very similar to my own and you have stated it exactly as it feels for me also (Ethiopia instead of Japan though). These rules create such an agonising dilemma for so many people, and as you say, for so many unsuspecting people to come. For a few weeks I thought Directive2004/38/EC was a source of hope, but that too has been crushed. Looks like exile to Ethiopia for me, and maybe that's not such a bad thing after all.
It's nice to see some Labour MPs will speak, but why has nothing more been said in opposition to this?
One last point: what examples exist to show that immigration harms a country (or city)? Almost always it stimulates trade and diversity. Why is it that the UK has this irrational hatred of foreigners?
Seems more like an irrational fear of poor and old foreigners! Rich young ppl are welcome..
Ah, I'll fight these new rules tooth and nail for as long as I can, but otherwise increasingly coming to the viewpoint that if needed, I will leave and live elsewhere in the EU with my elderly dependant, where my tax dollars are contributing to a society that has some respect for my right to have a family life.
It would appear that the Lib Dems strategy to policies they are uncomfortable with and go against the inheritent nature of their politics is to stick their heads in the sand, hide and hope it will go away. Your part of the decision process now Clegg, stop hiding, it just means you accept the changes if you dont speak out. You and your MPs have a DUTY to those who elected you, in fact to the nation ... your cowardly stance is shameful and a stain on democracy.
I am married to a South American lady, like many other British citizens born and bred in this country I will be denied a family life with my wife. I have a wage, own my own house, and have never asked anything from the state. However it now seems I am a second class citizen in my own country denied the basic right to live with my wife. Good luck on the 9th
Got tears in my eyes right now.... Please don't give up. We have to fight these changes, please don't give up, these new rules will break my family apart, I will have to live apart from my partner, don't think I can bear that.. Good look and all the best... God bless you... Make them change the rules. The new rules are morally wrong and injustice on us low earning citizens
Got tears in my eyes right now.... Please don't give up. We have to fight these changes, please don't give up, these new rules will break my family apart, I will have to live apart from my partner, don't think I can bear that.. Good look and all the best... God bless you... Make them change the rules. The new rules are morally wrong and injustice on us low earning citizens
JCWI et al likes to highlight those "divided by love" etc by these changes. Will you campaign equally for arranged marriages? Or is omitting arranged marriages from your protest a tacit acknowledgement that the British public will never support them?
I'm not a fan of the idea of arranged marriages, but why should anyone who chooses to enter an arranged marriage not be allowed to be with their spouses? Ppl the world over marry for reasons other than love - convenience, pregnancies, money, companionship. Indeed, studies do not indicate that marriages based solely on love are more successful than those for any other reasons.
The point is, we live in a country where you can CHOOSE who to marry, whatever your reasons are. And this does not make your right to be with that person any less. Sham marriages on the other hand are another story.
I did some research on sponsorship of parents and spouses, and summaries below:
USA - for spouses, a perm resident or citizen can sponsor their foreign spouse subject to having capacity to support the applicant at 125% of poverty level. Only citizens can sponsor parents also with capacity to support at 125% of poverty level.
Canada - Any perm resident or citizen aged 18 or over can sponsor their foreign spouse or parent, subject to a minimum income of $28k and an agreement to provide financial support to the applicant for 3-10 years, where necessary.
Australia - a country notorious for rigid immigration policies - any perm resident or citizen can sponsor their partner (doesnt have to be spouse) as long as they haven't sponsored another partner in the previous 5 years. Permanent residents or citizens can sponsor their parents or step-parents as long as the balance of family test is met, and with a bond of $5000 held for two years against the risk of welfare payments sought by the parents.
These are all prime examples of western, developed, 'Christian' countries. What UK has done is not Christian at all and is the complete opposite of progress.
I have an idea. Look at the immigration policy in the country that your spouse/parent/whoever you want to have join you is from. If more lax than the UK one, contact that embassy, and ask them to put pressure on the UK government to reciprocate. UK can't have it both ways. They want a reduction in net immigration, then they need to understand that when British people want to emigrate, they will be treated the same as they are treating others. THEN, they may understand the meaning of fairness.
In my opinion some Brits develop hatred towards foreign people because they fear that these people will get their jobs, benefits and everything that they should be entitled and they believe that some immigrants abused the system but you can't blame both parties because Brits just want to protect their rights and as for immigrants, they will do any risk to help their families back home.
The problem of some Brits is that they are afraid to take any risk in which it fails them to adapt with the sudden changes that is happening around the word and then complains a lot. They saw foreigners who were keeping on doing unusual things but instead of being curious and see the positive reasons for doing it, they will laugh at it or feel disgusted about it and then later on they will realized that they were being outsmarted by the foreigners. I just hope that Brits would become competitive in a good way than blaming people.
Greg dont be silly, You will be able to bring your wife hear under the new rules.
Britain has high unemployment , packed roads, stretched social services and a housing shortage.THis bill is aimed at preventing low skill low money to come here. You try getting into Australia NZ or canada , they have a sensible immigration policy.
Your protests will thankfully have no effect.
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