Hi everyone and a big thanks to all of you who have taken the time write to their MP asking to scrap the MIR.

Our digital day of action today is to email 5 friends asking them to also support this cause. Don’t know what to write? We’ve got you covered! You can simply copy and paste the following below and send it to five of your friends who are also believe that families belong together regardless of income ⬇️

I'm sending you this email because I've been moved by finding out about the heartbreaking situation that many families in this country are living in. Too many people have to live apart from a loved one because of a policy that not many people know about. This rule - the Minimum Income Requirement - means that your right to a family life is based on how much you earn.

If your income is less than £18,600 a year, and you happen to fall in love with someone from outside Europe, you'll be barred from living in the UK with them. Everyone should have the right to a family, but at the moment it's a right reserved for people on a good income. 

The Minimum Income Requirement already means that tens of thousands of British people are separated from a loved one, or have had to leave the UK in order to live with their partner, because this country's immigration rules stopped them from having a life together here.

One of them is Barbara, who works in the NHS but has had to take on a second frontline job during the pandemic, because her job as a cancer clinic coordinator didn’t pay her enough to have her husband here. You can watch a short video here where she explains her story and the impact this system has had on her. There’s also a report that has more details about these rules, and the stories of other frontline workers whose families are at risk because of this policy – you can read it here.

We all know that the economic consequences of the current pandemic will leave many more of us struggling financially - I'm worried many more families will also then end up on the wrong side of Home Office rules, and will face being split up because their income has fallen. 

Yesterday, I wrote to my MP asking them to reform this system. I'm emailing to ask you to do the same – the more that MPs hear their constituents raise concerns about this system, the more likely they are to do what’s right and vote to change it.

You can do this really quickly and easily by clicking here. Just put in your postcode and it will bring up a message addressed to your MP.

The tough times we’re all going through at the moment have shown that family is more important than ever. I don’t think it’s right that some people have more right to a family than others, just because of how much money they have.

Thank you!

Tony and I really appreciate all the help and support you have shown us and families like us. Let’s show our MPs that we believe families belong together!