#HaveAHeart – A JCWI Valentine Event

Credit: JCWI

A report by Punsita Ritthikarn

For this Valentine’s Day, the Joint Council for The Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI) have organised the social media event “Have A Heart” in celebration of love and in solidarity with families who live apart due to the UK’s current spouse visa requirements. JCWI is inviting people to run or walk in a heart shape and share a photo on social media with the hashtag #HaveAHeart.

Part of the “Keeping Families Together” campaign is to have the government repeal the Minimum Income Requirement (MIR). Under MIR – which was introduced in 2012 by the then home secretary, Theresa May – British citizens and other settled residents must earn at least £18,600-a-year before their partner from outside the EU can live with them in the UK. This increases by £3,800 for a first child and £2,400 each additional child. Brexit means MIR will apply to British citizens with EU partners. MIR is a huge ask as more than 40% of the UK population are paid less than £18,600. 

“Telling people they don’t earn enough money to be with their family is cruel- you only need to have a heart to see that. But if enough of us take a stand, we can get the government to have a heart too”, JCWL said in a statement. 

There are thousands of British people who cannot build a new life or raise children with their non-EU partners in the UK as they earn below this income requirement. Their right to family life as fundamental human rights is denied by this unfair immigration rule. The “Have A Heart” campaign is meant to urge the UK government that the MIR is a threat to many workers’ family lives. 

The former prime minister David Cameron once said: “when people’s love is divided by law, it is the law that needs to change.” He was praising the same-sex union, saying that marriage should not be denied to anyone because of their sexuality. 

“This policy is an attack on people on a lower income and doesn’t not reflect the country I know and grow up in and it certainly doesn’t reflect British values”, Laura said in the interview with JCWL. 

She raises her 2-year-old son Elijah alone in Warwickshire, without her Etopian husband who lives nearly 4,000 miles away in Addis Ababa. Her low-paid job with a small charity put herself among the 60% of women in the UK who don’t earn enough to fall in love across borders.

“I understand that change won’t happen overnight. But we want to be a family and nothing will stop us”, she added.

Similarly, Temi, a coordinator at an NHS oncology clinic, risking her life and her children for the battle on the coronavirus frontline said: “I love my job but it’s heart-breaking that as a key worker I don’t earn enough to live in my home with a person I love.” Apparently, many key workers were caught in a dilemma over whether to live in the UK without their lover or leave their home country permanently.

In fact, “no one should be separated from their loved one because of how much they earn.”, JCWL said. “Everyone deserves to have their loved ones by their side. And because together, we can make a change.”

The event ends on 14 February. In order to receive further details about this campaign, please sign up here. 

Punsita Ritthikarn is a recent MSc journalism graduate from the University of Glasgow.