13/11/2015
PLEASE SHARE!! I was pretty useless at Togs today because of this lovely woman! Her name is Kathryn and I had a few too many drinks on a school night to say goodbye to her as she is moving countries π°π£ I AM RAISING AWARENESS OF THE UNFAIR NEW RULES ON IMMIGRATION IN THE UK π£ Kathryn is from Philadelphia and has been living, studying and working in Dundee...She works with me on the McManus Creative Learning Team and she is a brilliant arts educator who has inspired young people with her passion and skills as a comic artist. She is married and her husband is Scottish. They do not meet the criteria needed for her to stay in Scotland and this is what she wants to do. They are both moving away and taking their skills with them. She is basically being forced out of the country. So what is the criteria? You might ask a few questions like:
Do they both work?
Yes- hubby employed and Kathryn Self employed working in creative education.
Do they get benefits?
No. They don't take any even though they probably could have claimed. They lead a simple life.
Are they adding to society?
Damn right they are! They are both working in the arts sector and we all know how much that pays! Working with families and young people. Katheryn will be missed by all who have had the pleasure to meet her.
So if they are married, not taking anything and only giving what is the problem?
ANSWER
YOU MUST AS A COUPLE HAVE AN INCOME OF 18000 p/a TO BE ALLOWED TO STAY IN THE COUNTRY EVEN IF YOU ARE MARRIED BECAUSE KATHRYN IS AMERICAN.
IT MUST BE PROPER EMPLOYMENT NOT SHORT CONTRACTS and for at least 2 years. (I was wanting to offer her enough sessional work to cover this but it has to be 'employment' and Im not in the position- YET)
So! While some get paid silly money others are paid a pittance to enrich our lives. And because of this (they aren't even interested in loads of cash) and some stupid new rule about a minimum income, They have to uproot their lives.
THIS IS SO PROPERLY UNFAIR IT MAKES ME REALLY DESPAIR! Kathryn, We will miss you so much and we hope you return to Dundee some day.
They don't have any children but there are some families that have to live in seperate countries because of this. People who have lived here years! We have to do something π£
SHARE THIS FAR AND WIDE TO SPREAD THE WORD. IN AN AGE WHEN WE ARE LED TO BELIEVE WE ARE GETTING SWAMPED BY IMMIGRATION ITS ALL VERY CLEVERLY DONE. I DESPISE THIS GOVERNMENT!