NEARLY 108,000 people have backed a plea to “end the price on love” that has kept a Scottish husband and his American wife apart for the past three months.
In less than a week, they have signed a Change.org petition (available here) urging the UK Government to scrap the minimum income requirement that has been posing serious problems for UK nationals and their non-European Economic Area (EEA) spouses since July 2012.
The National told last week how Tony Duffy, a self-employed plasterer from Edinburgh, was struggling to cope with being separated from wife Juli Colaianni, who returned to the US last year to re-apply for a spousal visa after the UK Home Office rejected her initial application.
He told us he had even contemplated suicide as he spent the festive season at home alone, with his wife in America and his mother in hospital.
Campaigners have branded the minimum income requirement “a price-tag on love”.
Support for the couple’s petition is continuing to grow and has also attracted support from legal charity the Joint Council for Welfare and Immigrants (JCWI).
Duffy said his business makes more than the minimum required income of £18,600 a year but the Home Office said self-employment income is always calculated on net profit and he did not earn enough to bring his wife home to Scotland.
Duffy has been battling anxiety and depression as well as caring for his mother – one of the tasks which his wife had assumed.
They are asking supporters to help them to overturn the decision and scrap the minimum income requirement which restricts who can marry a partner from outside the EEA.
Duffy told The National he was heartened by the overwhelming support.
“It’s unreal - I can’t believe it. We only started it a few days ago and it’s great to see that level of support we have,” he said.
“I’m usually a bit apprehensive about posting things online, like with Facebook and things like that, but obviously this was something we needed to do.
“This policy is nothing short of a price on love. Imagine falling in love with someone and planning a life with them, and then having them sent away because the government says you don’t earn enough.
“We’re appealing to the better nature of the British public – please stand with us, and call on the government to scrap this policy and bring Julianna back home.”
Campaigners at the Joint Council for Welfare and Immigrants (JCWI), a charity that has been supporting the couple, said their case was far from isolated.
Mary Atkinson, its families together campaign officer, said: “Families across the country are being forced apart because of their income.
“Right now, thousands of children are growing up getting to know one of their parents through Skype, as a direct consequence of this policy.
“The support for this petition shows that the public are now speaking out and saying that enough is enough – families belong together.”
Duffy added: “I didn’t know what to do with myself over Christmas and New Year. It’s really lonely because Juli and I are best friends as well as husband and wife.
“When we made our first application, I proved that I made more than £20,000 over 12 months through my bank statements, but they refused the application.
“We appreciate The National’s help. It’s nice to know that somebody cares, but it’s shocking that people have to go through this. I’ve never had to deal with anything as immoral as the Home Office ever before.”
The Home Office line has not changed since The National began covering such cases: “All UK visa applications are considered on their individual merits, on the basis of the evidence available and in line with the UK’s immigration rules.”
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