THE UK Government’s “hostile environment” for migrants was in evidence again yesterday when a Scottish taxi driver told how he and his American wife had been caught up in “heartbreaking” red tape.
Keith Webster, from Portlethen, near Aberdeen, married Susan Martinez, from Arizona, in a ceremony in the US last April, after meeting in an online forum two years before.
However, they initially applied for the wrong type of visa for her to remain in Scotland and their application for a settlement visa has now been refused, leaving them in limbo.
Their case is remarkably similar to that of an Edinburgh plasterer who has been separated from his wife, who is in the US, since before Christmas after her visa was refused.
We have previously reported their case in some detail on several occasions, but an immigration judge in Glasgow has imposed an anonymity order following the failure of their last appeal. We are appealing against the gagging order.
However, the spouse told The National from the US: “This situation is so stressful and it’s like the Home Office have taken away my sense of self and have beaten me down to feeling like nothing.
“The Home Office shouldn’t be able to decide people’s lives nor should they have the power to mentally abuse people who only want a life with their partner.”
Webster, 49, has been a taxi driver for more than 20 years and easily meets the minimum income requirement to keep his wife in Scotland.
He estimates they have spent around £7000 trying to resolve the issue after the Home Office questioned the status of their relationship.
In a refusal letter, a civil servant said: “There is a lack of evidence of personal contact and regular correspondence between you.
“Therefore, I am not satisfied that you have formed a genuine and durable relationship; your relationship … is genuine and subsisting; or that you intend to live together permanently in the UK.”
Webster said: “It is heart-breaking.
“The last time Susan was home she was in tears every day. It was making us both ill.
“We just don’t know what will happen now.
“Susan came back to the UK three days before Christmas which means she’ll have to leave sometime in June for a month.
“I don’t know what we are going to do.”
His wife told The National: “The endless hours of prep to make sure we had everything required was our main goal. We actually thought that if we made it easy for your government this process would go smoothly – instead our most compelling and solid evidence was overlooked.
“I waited seven long and very unsettling months for the final refusal so I could use my passport and was able to get back to my husband three days before Christmas.”
“Keith and I just want to live the simple lifestyle we have imagined for our selves.”
She added: “We have spent thousands of dollars and thousands of hours on immigration only to be turned down because of lack of evidence or validity of our relationship which was indeed over looked.
“We were not even called to notify us regarding our case or anything that may need to be addressed as the UK online application site states would happen.”
A Home Office spokesperson repeated their usual mantra: “All applications are considered on their individual merits, on the basis of the evidence provided and in line with the immigration rules.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel