In the bowels of Scotland sits heartbroken husband James McAllister, who has spent the last two years waiting for his Kenyan wife, Vera Akinyi, some 7,500 kilometres away in Nairobi, to join him in Kirkcaldy, Fife.
The UK’s draconian new rules have stolen McAllister’s right to a family
life. He is one of the casualties of a recently introduced radical
immigration rule saying only British citizens with an annual income of
up to £25,700 (Sh3.4 million) per annum can apply for a spouse visa or
take the option of going into ‘exile’ abroad.
The new rules also require a stringent English-speaking test for foreign-based spouses seeking a family visa to join their British spouses in the UK.
The
Scotsman, a former Black Watch soldier, works for a supermarket where
his salary does not qualify him to bring Vera, 32, and her son, Steve,
six, to join him.
McAllister blames the UK’s
immigration laws for discrimination against working class people: “It
is derogatory that because you don’t earn enough, you can’t be with your
spouse,” he said.
For the past few months, he has tried every avenue to get his wife and her son, but keeps getting knocked back.
McAllister says that the government does not want people being a burden on the UK taxpayer, but “I would be supporting my wife. I support her already.”
“I’m
sure I am not the only person in the country suffering from this,” he
said, adding that his inability to obtain entry for her was already
having a toll on their relationship. “Every time I speak to Vera on the
phone, I feel so bad; it is difficult keeping a brave face.”
He says Vera has suffered a miscarriage due to the pressure they are facing in processing her papers to enter the UK.
The couple met when McAllister was holidaying in Kenya.
They married in August 2011, at a Nairobi restaurant. McAllister left
his wife in Nairobi, promising to get her visa papers processed.
Vera has not been able to visit her husband in Kirkcaldy, but McAllister has made several trips to Kenya to see her and his stepson in Ongata Rongai.
Their heart-rending story is repeated in many parts of the UK.
Immigration welfare commentators say the new rules will exclude
two-thirds of Britons, who earn less than the £25,7000 per annum, from
living in the UK as a couple if they marry a non-EU national. It is estimated that more than 50 per cent of the 53,000 family visas issued annually could fall foul of the rules.
“It is very difficult for a lot of Kenyans
in low income jobs to bring their families here,” says London salesman
Kariuki. “It’s a struggle that causes a lot of depression.
“A lot
of us will put up a brave face but, we have problems with the British
immigration system resulting in a lot of broken families.”
The
Home Office defended its minimum threshold law for British citizens
wishing to sponsor a spouse visa for their partner, saying that the rule
was based on recommendations from the Migratory Advisory Committee as
the level at which a couple generally ceases to be able to access
income-related benefits.
A spokesman said that while the UK welcomes those who wish to make a life here with their family, work
hard and make a contribution, their family life must not be established at the taxpayers’ expense.
For many Kenyans, living in the UK is not a bed of roses. Aside from the new immigration and visa laws, the age-old problem of racial prejudice remains.
Joyce
Ng’ang’a arrived in London from Limuru more than two decades ago hoping
to build a new life. She later moved to Leeds and started a cleaning
business. But she no longer feels comfortable living here because of
blatant racial discrimination, which has taken a toll on her and her family.
Joyce is making serious plans to return to Kenya and set up business.
“I
have been a victim of racial discrimination and abuse. The
discrimination is so much, I could write a book. Not being able to get
work because of the colour of your skin can dent anyone’s confidence,”
she told me.
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