Amend Immigration Laws for Families of EU Citizens Settled in the UK
Amend Immigration Laws for Families of EU Citizens Settled in the UK
The Issue
I am an EU citizen with settled status in the UK, and like many others, I face a heart-wrenching situation. My parents live in Poland and, since post-Brexit changes came into play, are unable to move here permanently so that I can care for them during their retirement years. Like many people, I moved to the UK 16 years ago and built my life and family here. Both myself and my brother have linked our future with the UK and hoped for our parents to join us here when they retired. With Brexit happening during COVID pandemic and with a lack of clarity of what it meant for families like ours, we are now left with no choice other than being separated.
Having done extensive research and sought legal advice, it feels like our hands are tied. We are lucky enough for our parents to not need medical help and be able to afford living in Poland from their pension. This means that they cannot be treated as dependants and therefore move over permanently. They cannot spend more than a few months each year with their grandchild due to current immigration laws. The alternative routes have requirements which are impossible to meet.
Our story is not unique. Many families are separated by these laws, causing emotional distress and practical difficulties. The Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford reports that as of December 2020, over 5 million applications were made to the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS), highlighting how many people this issue potentially affects.
We propose an amendment to immigration laws allowing immediate family members of EU citizens who settled permanently in the UK to join them as dependants indefinitely. This change would not only uphold family unity but also relieve some pressures on social services by enabling families like mine to provide personal care for our elderly relatives. We don’t know what can happen tomorrow, and as it stands, we have little to no choice to look after our parents.
Let's stand together for family unity and dignity. Please sign this petition urging lawmakers to amend these immigration laws.
996
The Issue
I am an EU citizen with settled status in the UK, and like many others, I face a heart-wrenching situation. My parents live in Poland and, since post-Brexit changes came into play, are unable to move here permanently so that I can care for them during their retirement years. Like many people, I moved to the UK 16 years ago and built my life and family here. Both myself and my brother have linked our future with the UK and hoped for our parents to join us here when they retired. With Brexit happening during COVID pandemic and with a lack of clarity of what it meant for families like ours, we are now left with no choice other than being separated.
Having done extensive research and sought legal advice, it feels like our hands are tied. We are lucky enough for our parents to not need medical help and be able to afford living in Poland from their pension. This means that they cannot be treated as dependants and therefore move over permanently. They cannot spend more than a few months each year with their grandchild due to current immigration laws. The alternative routes have requirements which are impossible to meet.
Our story is not unique. Many families are separated by these laws, causing emotional distress and practical difficulties. The Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford reports that as of December 2020, over 5 million applications were made to the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS), highlighting how many people this issue potentially affects.
We propose an amendment to immigration laws allowing immediate family members of EU citizens who settled permanently in the UK to join them as dependants indefinitely. This change would not only uphold family unity but also relieve some pressures on social services by enabling families like mine to provide personal care for our elderly relatives. We don’t know what can happen tomorrow, and as it stands, we have little to no choice to look after our parents.
Let's stand together for family unity and dignity. Please sign this petition urging lawmakers to amend these immigration laws.
996
Petition created on 15 October 2023