From: godfrey@sscvx1.ssc.gov (LAURENCE GODFREY)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british
Subject: Re: Are foreignborn kids of UK citizens etc
Date: 14 Sep 92 02:39:00 GMT
Organization: Superconducting Super Collider Laboratory
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.4-b1

In article <1992Sep14.004755.10957@nuscc.nus.sg>, hiscrp@nuscc.nus.sg (C R Pennell)         writes...
>I am British with a full passport (not one of those crummy Hongkong ones
>and Falkland ISland ones for lesser breeds within the law) My wife is
>Singaporean. My son was born in the USA in 1986, my daughter in Kenya in
>1988. There was no problem about getting British passports for either of
>the children from the British High COmmission in Nairobi. Why Nairobi
>when our son was born in the USA, I hear you cry. Well the COnsulate in
>Boston wouldn't issue passports, the Consulate-General in New York was
>utterly incompetent, and good old FCO in London had a 9month backlog or
>something at the time. ANyway you had to cue at 3am to hand the forms
>in.So we did it in Nairobi in three days.
> 
>However, not all was wonderful at the Nairobi High Commission. SOetime
>in 1987 the Brits cahnged the right of entry laws, effectively meaning
>taht my wife could only live in Britain if she accompanied me once I had
>show I could "Support her" and could only get rsidence permission  after
>living there for a few years (3 I think). When I checked this out at the
>HC they referred me to the Home Office Representative, a large grim
>woman with arms folded in front of her chest situated behind a plate
>glass screen. When I asked her if the rules meant taht if I died BEFORE
>returning to live in the motherland permanently and getting my wife
>residence status she would be not entitled to enter the country to live
>with her British children. She confirmed that this was so. I made some
>remark along the lines taht this new change of rules was a bad thing.
>SHe answered, with a self-satisfied little smile: You should have
>thought about that BEFORE you married a foreigner.
> 
>CONCLUSION: Beware HO representatives in countries of immigration (we
>know that anyway) More important: think of a way round this outrageous
>situation where a mother cannot legally accompany her children. My
>betting is that it is fundamentally racist - were my wife white ther'd
>be no problem. She's Chinese, which is noy quite as badly seen by the
>official racists (I hope). But were she Indian/Bangladeshi, no chance.
>Comments anyone?
> 
>Richard Pennell
>History
>NUS


Yes, I have a few comments.  What you were told is correct.  I agree
with your opinions.  I am a part-time freelance writer and occasionally
write about immigration issues (see Independent 11th July - ignore
the erors introduced by their sub-ed).  If you contact me I will put
you in touch with someone at FCO who will deal with your complaint
(this is on condition that you do NOT use my name) about the entry
clearance official in question.  There is a way around these regulations,
since July of this year, and if you ask me I will be happy to explain
what it is, but be warned it is not easy to put into practise.  I can
also put you in touch with an organisation that may be able to help you
if you encounter any difficulty in bringing your wife in.

Finally, are you sure you really want to come back to UK - I warn you
it is really extremely bad here and if you have a job you may be best
advised tos tay where you are.

Laurence

(email me to get phone number etc.)
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