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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics

A painful truth about post-Brexit immigration

The Home Office UK
‘Five months later, and over £7,000 on costs, I am still waiting. My application remains “under consideration”.’ Photograph: Alamy

Your report (Wife of British man at risk of deportation from Sweden calls on Burnham to intervene, 3 September) highlights a painful truth about post-Brexit immigration: families are being treated as administrative burdens rather than human beings. However, this harsh treatment cuts both ways.

I am a 71-year-old German-American citizen, married to my British husband for 38 years. We have only ever been apart for work. We bought property in the UK in 2023 so my husband could retire there. After retiring from my job in Germany, I applied for a UK family visa on 1 April 2026, expecting to settle down with him and my two adult sons within six weeks. The lawyer was rather optimistic.

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