Hard-working family faces deportation from Britain because they are not from the EU
Brain family came legally from Australia as part of a scheme to attract immigrants to rural areas but then the Government changed the rules
AN AUSTRALIAN family threatened with deportation from Britain say they have been ‘set up to fail’ in their fight to stay.
Gregg Brain came with his wife Kathryn and son Lachlan in 2011 during a Government drive to attract people to live in rural areas.
But they are now battling deportation after the Government changed the rules after they arrived.
They were due to be put on a plane by Home Office officials yesterday after being told they don’t meet the immigration criteria.
Following lobbying by their MP, the First Minister of Scotland and their community, they have been given a two month reprieve but fear they are facing a losing battle.
The hard-working family says the deportation farce risks leaving them homeless and bankrupt.
Mr Brain said: “If we are not a poster family for successful immigration, I'm not sure who is.
“Theresa May has said that she is happy to welcome immigrants who can linguistically and culturally assimilate, and pay their own way.
“We are also willing to live and work in a sparsely populated and economically depressed area of the country.”
There would be no problems if they were from the European Union, and would be allowed to come to Britain, find jobs and raise families without having to get visas.
Instead they have been told they must apply for a more complex ‘tier two’ visa – for people outside the European Economic Area – who have been offered a skilled job in Britain.
Kathryn has now been offered a job with a distillery which they hope would qualify her for the visa but part of the conditions of being allowed to stay until August 1 is they are not allowed to work.
They have the support of Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon who said: “The government changed the rules before these people had a chance to benefit.
“The wee boy is a Gaelic speaker and is, to all intents and purposes, Scottish.”
The Home Office confirmed it had granted the family a further two-month extension to a grace period it was previously given, but said evidence of a relevant job in line with immigration rules had not been provided to date.
It said an application for the family to remain in the UK would be considered if submitted during the grace period.