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dolorosa_12Earlier this year, due to a law change, I was able to apply for British citizenship by descent through my father — something that had previously been impossible for me due to various quirks of British citizenship law. I put in my application, which was approved in May, and had my citizenship ceremony shortly thereafter. This was the last in a run of extraordinary good fortune for me and Matthias. He had received permanent residency in the UK (the optional equivalent of Indefinite Leave to Remain for EU residents in the UK, and a prerequisite for applications for British citizenship by naturalisation). We had got engaged and set a wedding date. He had successfully applied for a new job, which represented a significant promotion. My job had been made permanent. In other words, we had been putting down deep roots, taking steps towards the future we were choosing to build in the UK.
On Thursday, that future became a lot more shaky and uncertain.
I keep looking at that top line on the passport and feeling bitter, bitter sadness.
It's not just about me. Over the past few days, I've been hearing story after story from EU migrant friends, as well as non-EU migrants, and non-white British friends of acts of appalling racism and xenophobia, of feeling unwelcome in their own homes, of the feeling of suddenly facing uncertain futures. I've heard from countless people about various ways this referendum result is likely to affect their current or future employment, their visa status, their ability to sponsor non-EU spouses and other relatives for visas, as well as from British people furious and terrified that they have been stripped of their ability to live, love, work and study in 27 other countries. The loss of free movement is a particularly bitter pill to swallow for me, as someone who has lived visa to visa, keeping track of the implications of small changes to immigration law. A whole world — cosmopolitan, international, collaborative and outward-looking — has been rejected.
I'm particularly furious on behalf of the Scottish and Northern Irish citizens/residents of the UK, and those of Gibraltar, who are being dragged into this by Little Englanders (and the Welsh) without their consent, as well as residents of London, and the bigger cities and university towns of England and Wales, all of whom voted overwhelmingly to remain. My own second home of Cambridge voted to remain by 73 per cent, so at least I don't have to look around and wonder which of my fellow residents are frightened racists. I'm proud of my city. I'm also enraged on behalf of the millions of EU residents of the UK who were denied the ability to vote on their future and forced to watch helplessly as others decided it for them. (A post of Matthias' to this effect caused an ignorant Tory friend of his to question why he hadn't become a citizen if it mattered so much to him, which I must admit gave me a white hot fury. The reason why he hadn't become a citizen was that it would have invalidated my previous visa. He was on track to become a citizen in January next year, but that's now up in the air, as Germany only allows dual citizenship with other EU nationalities.)
I have particular contempt for David Cameron, selfishly bargaining the futures of millions of younger Britons, UK citizens' lives in the wider EU, and all immigrants here in the UK for a shot at stabilising his ailing leadership. Close behind come the Tory Leavers, opportunists stirring the pot for their own personal gain, as well as the Farages and Rupert Murdochs of this world. The Leave voters who didn't actually want to leave, but just wanted to register a protest are utterly beneath contempt. Don't make protest votes unless you actually want to live with the consequences. Otherwise register your disenchantment with spoiled ballots, or by staying home. The rest of us have to deal with your mess.
There was a lot of talk of reaching out and finding common ground, but to hell with that. I, and most people I know, are not taking this lying down. I will be writing to my MP and MEP, urging them to fight against the decision, given that it is an advisory, rather than binding referendum. I strongly encourage you to do the same. You can find your MP here and your MEP here. I would also encourage EU residents in the UK to write to the MEPs of their home countries. A friend of mine has written a good letter and is happy for it to be used as a template, so please get in touch if that's something you would like, and I can pass his template on to you.
If you're based in Cambridge, there is a rally on Tuesday, starting at 5pm at the Guildhall. Details are on this Facebook event, which also includes links to equivalent rallies in Bristol, London, Exeter, Liverpool and so on (although be aware that you'll have to wade through a lot of awful comments from gloating Leavers). I'm almost certainly going to be attending, although I will be late coming in from work, and I encourage anyone who feels up to it to do the same (or at equivalent rallies in their own cities).
There are also various petitions floating around, which I encourage people to sign and share. Most importantly: demand for a second referendum, and guarantee the status of EU citizens currently resident in the UK. If you have any other relevant petitions, feel free to share them in the comments.
I also want to say that I have extensive experience dealing with UKVI, deciphering their incomprehensible forms, gathering the extensive documents required for visa applications, and understanding the byzantine requirements for various visas, including the EEA (Permanent Residence) cards that are a prerequisite for British citizenship. If you or any EU resident friends and relatives want help making such an application (although I can understand if you don't feel welcome and want to get out as soon as possible), get in touch and I will help in any way I can. Please stay and help me vote this pack of fascists out!
Most importantly, if you see any acts of racist abuse, please do what you can (and what you feel safe doing) to challenge them and protect their targets. This result has emboldened a lot of racist xenophobes, who suddenly feel they have a mandate to unleash their vicious, vicious hatred. We need to speak out against this behaviour when we see it, and not yield the public square to them. I'm not naive enough to think that Britain was entirely free of racism, but I have never seen it so blatant, and so publicly acceptable. I am not exaggerating when I say that I feel like I woke up in 1933.
But I still love this, my second home, my international city, my found family of friends from all around the world. I love my job, my university students and researchers, my NHS nurses, doctors, and other healthcare workers, who enrich my life every time I teach them.
As I said on Twitter on Friday, I will remain here until the lights go out.
On Thursday, that future became a lot more shaky and uncertain.
By a bitter twist of fate, my new British passport, which represented the final stage in my immigration journey, something that I had been looking forward to so much, arrived at my house in the early hours of Friday morning, at almost precisely the moment Nigel Farage was crowing on TV about 'independence day' and his 'revolution achieved without a shot being fired'. A moment that I had been dreaming of for years had become a sick joke.
I keep looking at that top line on the passport and feeling bitter, bitter sadness.
It's not just about me. Over the past few days, I've been hearing story after story from EU migrant friends, as well as non-EU migrants, and non-white British friends of acts of appalling racism and xenophobia, of feeling unwelcome in their own homes, of the feeling of suddenly facing uncertain futures. I've heard from countless people about various ways this referendum result is likely to affect their current or future employment, their visa status, their ability to sponsor non-EU spouses and other relatives for visas, as well as from British people furious and terrified that they have been stripped of their ability to live, love, work and study in 27 other countries. The loss of free movement is a particularly bitter pill to swallow for me, as someone who has lived visa to visa, keeping track of the implications of small changes to immigration law. A whole world — cosmopolitan, international, collaborative and outward-looking — has been rejected.
I'm particularly furious on behalf of the Scottish and Northern Irish citizens/residents of the UK, and those of Gibraltar, who are being dragged into this by Little Englanders (and the Welsh) without their consent, as well as residents of London, and the bigger cities and university towns of England and Wales, all of whom voted overwhelmingly to remain. My own second home of Cambridge voted to remain by 73 per cent, so at least I don't have to look around and wonder which of my fellow residents are frightened racists. I'm proud of my city. I'm also enraged on behalf of the millions of EU residents of the UK who were denied the ability to vote on their future and forced to watch helplessly as others decided it for them. (A post of Matthias' to this effect caused an ignorant Tory friend of his to question why he hadn't become a citizen if it mattered so much to him, which I must admit gave me a white hot fury. The reason why he hadn't become a citizen was that it would have invalidated my previous visa. He was on track to become a citizen in January next year, but that's now up in the air, as Germany only allows dual citizenship with other EU nationalities.)
I have particular contempt for David Cameron, selfishly bargaining the futures of millions of younger Britons, UK citizens' lives in the wider EU, and all immigrants here in the UK for a shot at stabilising his ailing leadership. Close behind come the Tory Leavers, opportunists stirring the pot for their own personal gain, as well as the Farages and Rupert Murdochs of this world. The Leave voters who didn't actually want to leave, but just wanted to register a protest are utterly beneath contempt. Don't make protest votes unless you actually want to live with the consequences. Otherwise register your disenchantment with spoiled ballots, or by staying home. The rest of us have to deal with your mess.
There was a lot of talk of reaching out and finding common ground, but to hell with that. I, and most people I know, are not taking this lying down. I will be writing to my MP and MEP, urging them to fight against the decision, given that it is an advisory, rather than binding referendum. I strongly encourage you to do the same. You can find your MP here and your MEP here. I would also encourage EU residents in the UK to write to the MEPs of their home countries. A friend of mine has written a good letter and is happy for it to be used as a template, so please get in touch if that's something you would like, and I can pass his template on to you.
If you're based in Cambridge, there is a rally on Tuesday, starting at 5pm at the Guildhall. Details are on this Facebook event, which also includes links to equivalent rallies in Bristol, London, Exeter, Liverpool and so on (although be aware that you'll have to wade through a lot of awful comments from gloating Leavers). I'm almost certainly going to be attending, although I will be late coming in from work, and I encourage anyone who feels up to it to do the same (or at equivalent rallies in their own cities).
There are also various petitions floating around, which I encourage people to sign and share. Most importantly: demand for a second referendum, and guarantee the status of EU citizens currently resident in the UK. If you have any other relevant petitions, feel free to share them in the comments.
I also want to say that I have extensive experience dealing with UKVI, deciphering their incomprehensible forms, gathering the extensive documents required for visa applications, and understanding the byzantine requirements for various visas, including the EEA (Permanent Residence) cards that are a prerequisite for British citizenship. If you or any EU resident friends and relatives want help making such an application (although I can understand if you don't feel welcome and want to get out as soon as possible), get in touch and I will help in any way I can. Please stay and help me vote this pack of fascists out!
Most importantly, if you see any acts of racist abuse, please do what you can (and what you feel safe doing) to challenge them and protect their targets. This result has emboldened a lot of racist xenophobes, who suddenly feel they have a mandate to unleash their vicious, vicious hatred. We need to speak out against this behaviour when we see it, and not yield the public square to them. I'm not naive enough to think that Britain was entirely free of racism, but I have never seen it so blatant, and so publicly acceptable. I am not exaggerating when I say that I feel like I woke up in 1933.
But I still love this, my second home, my international city, my found family of friends from all around the world. I love my job, my university students and researchers, my NHS nurses, doctors, and other healthcare workers, who enrich my life every time I teach them.
As I said on Twitter on Friday, I will remain here until the lights go out.
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no subject
Date: 2016-06-27 08:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-06-28 11:55 am (UTC)I've also got a federal election in my home country, Australia, coming up this Saturday. I don't think I can take any more political disappointment.
(Yes, this new British citizenship means that I now hold three citizenships, although given the referendum result, I may have less ability to move around Europe than I imagined when I first applied!)
no subject
Date: 2016-06-27 10:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-06-28 11:52 am (UTC)I just feel numb and terrified.
no subject
Date: 2016-06-26 09:05 pm (UTC)Every day I'm a little less angry, but then I see acts of hatred reported on social media (and it should be reported) but it makes me wonder what this world is coming to.
That's so horrible your EU passport arrived during Leave victory. I'm quite upset I'll now never have EU citizenship. I wanted that a lot more than just British citizenship. I wonder if I'll even bother now, depending what happens, as permanent residency is easier and much less money.
no subject
Date: 2016-06-27 12:33 pm (UTC)Yes, as someone who, like you, has gone through years of visa stress, having to endlessly prove and reprove my relationship with my partner, our financial status, etc, the citizenship was a welcome relief, but it was the accompanying privilege of free movement that I really valued. With regards to your own citizenship plans, I would encourage you to do so if you can afford it, as it's so much more secure than just ILR. You can lose ILR by being away too long, and, as we saw last week, any immigration status can be wiped away by a law change, or the vote of thoughtless and frightened people. Although I can understand why you wouldn't want to be a citizen now.
no subject
Date: 2016-06-27 02:04 pm (UTC)Do you think that it's advisory is a conspiracy theory? Because the fact that Article 50 hasn't been triggered yet is all over the papers. It's my only hope in this huge mess. Politicans should have decided if to leave the EU in the first place, and right now it looks like Boris is screwed.
It's very true by the time I get ILR, in January 2018, the rules could change. Or change at any time. Still not too keen to get British citizenship at the moment but I may change my mind. X
no subject
Date: 2016-06-28 01:44 pm (UTC)The only chance now is if it goes to a vote in Parliament. My own MP has said he would vote Remain in such conditions, but I don't know if enough MPs would have the guts to do that. I would strongly encourage as many people as possible to write to their MPs and urge them to vote Remain if it goes to a vote, and I'm not holding out much hope.
The other thing - and this has barely been covered in the UK media at all - is that the rest of the EU has been furious with the UK for a long time, and this referendum may well be the final straw. UK politicians constantly blame the EU for everything that's wrong, try to wring concessions out of it, and expect special treatment (opting out of Schengen, having British border control at Calais) while giving nothing in return. The referendum result has thrown the entire EU into chaos, and I wouldn't be surprised if most other states want the matter resolved as quickly as possible.
So I'm not feeling that optimistic about our chances of remaining in the EU. To do so would rely on maturity from the Tory leadership, and the goodwill of the rest of the EU, neither of which is forthcoming at the moment. The ghastly irony would be if they negotiated to be in a situation like the EEA countries: paying EU fees, access to the single market, no influence on EU law, and EVEN MORE freedom of movement. And then NOBODY will be happy.
no subject
Date: 2016-06-26 09:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-06-27 12:24 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-06-26 10:46 pm (UTC)Like you, I'm in a Remain area (and country), so we're not seeing the worst excesses of the racist outbursts. What I'm hearing from my friends in various parts of England is horrifying me. We absolutely MUST oppose this. It is insanity.
no subject
Date: 2016-06-27 12:34 pm (UTC)I just feel so utterly helpless.
no subject
Date: 2016-06-27 06:37 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-06-28 01:46 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-06-28 03:59 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-06-29 01:18 pm (UTC)The problem right now (apart from the racist attacks on immigrants and non-white British people, which are just horrifying) is that nobody knows what's going to happen. The exit hasn't even formally begun, which means right now Britain is still in the EU and everything's kind of on hold. Millions of EU residents (and their non-EU dependents) have no idea whether they'll be able to stay, whether they'll have to apply under British immigration law, and what the timescale for these various changes will be. It's unbearable for people to live with this kind of uncertainty.