Our project team has recently published a conceptual paper in Comparative Migration Studies! It's open access, so click the link to learn more about their work: comparativemigrationstudies.springeropen.com/articles/10....

Thanks to the participants at the Brexit Couples workshop in Bristol earlier this month. We were inspired by your input!

We are working on a podcast series called 'Love, Borders, Brexit' - more details soon!

The Home Office has released new immigration statistics. Click the link to learn more: www.gov.uk/government/s...

The Brexit Couples project is back online after our break. Over the summer, the Migration Observatory published a useful new briefing on family migration to the UK. migrationobservatory.ox.ac.uk/resources/br...

The Brexit Couples project is pausing social media activity for a summer break. We'll be back online in September.

The Brexit Couples team presented at the IMISCOE conference in Paris earlier this month, including organising this great panel on migrantisation with Bridget Anderson, Janine Dahinden, Melanie Griffiths, Saara Pelander, and Jaana Palander #IMISCOE2025

Two weeks ago, we held an academic workshop on the Legal World of Family Life, which brought together academics from 14 different universities to discuss the ramifications of family migration law in a wide array of contexts

Congratulations to Reunite Families UK for their 'Love in Limbo' event held in Parliament to highlight the harms caused by the UK family immigration system. You can watch the recording here (event starts at 9 minutes 50 seconds) www.youtube.com/watch?v=d45A...

On 19 June, Helena from the Brexit Couples Project team presents "How family migration rules impact on people’s working lives" at the 'The Zero-Sum Game of Labour Exploitation' workshop, organised by Oxford Brookes University. www.eventbrite.com/e/the-zero-s...

We welcome the Migration Advisory Committee's (MAC) recommendations in their report released today to reduce the Minimum Income Requirement, and increase flexibility in how it is met www.gov.uk/government/p...

Special shout out to our Project Administrator for publishing a blog with @mmbuob.bsky.social on co-production and his PhD research. migration.bristol.ac.uk/2025/06/02/w...

'I paid £11k to get my visa due to Home Office errors - then had a stroke' inews.co.uk/news/11k-vis...

A New Explainer from Free Movement: What does the immigration white paper say about family, deportation and other areas? freemovement.org.uk/what-does-th...

The Government's White Paper doesn't offer much on family migration, delaying till the end of 2025. But it will keep the 5-year route to settlement for dependents of citizens (p69), and change 'suitability' and 'exceptional circumstances' (p43-44). www.gov.uk/government/p...

DEADLINE EXTENDED: This Call for Abstracts has been extended till Friday, May 9th! brexitcouples.ac.uk/call-for-pap...

Call for Papers Alert: We're organising an academic workshop on the Legal World of Family Migration. This call aims to begin a discussion of the characteristics and dynamics of this legal world and the use of law and legality in family migration. brexitcouples.ac.uk/call-for-pap...

@freemovement.bsky.social has published an updated explainer on the financial requirements for UK spouse and partner visas. Click below to read more: freemovement.org.uk/appendix-fm-...

Check out the latest version of our project's newsletter! Click below to see what we have been up to: brexitcouples.ac.uk/newsletters/...

This Big Issue article talks to families that are separated for not earning enough under 'unfair' UK visa rules: "I can't take care of my husband" www.bigissue.com/news/social-...

MEDIA ALERT: "Visa requirements are very onerous, they have caused a lot of hardship, a lot of sorrow and a lot of separations" Read Co-PI Helena Wray's interview with Radio Télévision Suisse (Switzerland). Now online: www.rts.ch/info/monde/2...

"I’m separated from my one-year-old son due to Home Office visa rule – it’s agonising" Read another story about the impacts of visas and the income requirements for families trying to come to the UK. www.msn.com/en-gb/family...

"We have a beautiful relationship that's turned into the best thing in my life." In this BBC article, a UK-French couple talk about the impacts of the visa costs and income requirements on their life together and how they were finally reunited. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

New analysis from Migration Observatory shows that family visas for the partners of British citizens or permanent residents in the UK decreased by 8% in the second half of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023, after the MIR increase migrationobservatory.ox.ac.uk/press/migrat...

Check out the Scottish Government's response to the Minimum Income Requirement consultation put forward by the Migration Advisory Committee. Read the report below: www.gov.scot/publications...

Check out our latest blog post with @mmbuob.bsky.social focusing on the UK spousal and partner immigration system in the UK: migration.bristol.ac.uk/2025/02/03/a...

🧵 3 interesting things that came out of the Westminster Hall debate on the MIR last month:

On the 5th anniversary of Brexit, it's harder than ever for UK-EU couples to live together in the UK. In the MMB blog Katharine Charsley + Nicole Hoellerer report on their @brexitcouples.bsky.social research: restrictive immigration rules are pressuring couples into marriage 👉👉 tinyurl.com/233dp592

MEDIA ALERT: Our co-lead Helena Wray appeared on Radio Télévision Suisse (Switzerland) radio to discuss the impact of Brexit on UK-EU couples. Tune in at the link below: www.rts.ch/audio-podcas...

🚨MEDIA ALERT🚨Katharine from the Brexit Couples Team in an article on family visas in the UK www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

🚨MEDIA ALERT 🚨 Katharine from the Brexit Couples Team spoke on the BBC Radio Bristol breakfast show about the family immigration system (segment starts at 2:45:21 at the link below): www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p...

If you missed the Westminster Hall debate on the Income Requirement for family visas and would like to catch up, here are the links to the recording, and to the written version in Hansard: www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiMU...

WATCH LIVE: UK parliament e-petition debate relating to income requirements for family visas - Monday 20 January, 16:15 www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiMU...

Next week (20th Jan) the Income Requirement for UK family visas will be the subject of a debate in Westminster Hall in Parliament. Tune in! whatson.parliament.uk/event/cal49814

Happy New Year from the Brexit Couples project team! Look out in the coming weeks for more content from us. In the meantime, we hope you all have a great start to the new year.

Wishing you a happy and restful festive season from the Brexit Couples Team! We'll be back online in the new year.

🗣️📢ANNOUNCEMENT: We are happy to present our project's interim report! It highlights key research findings from our interviews, statistical analysis of emerging trends, and preliminary policy recommendations for the new government. Read the report on our website: brexitcouples.ac.uk/publications...

The Brexit Couples project has responded to the Migration Advisory Committee’s (MAC) call for evidence on the minimum income requirement for partners. Read our submission on our website: brexitcouples.ac.uk/publications...

Here is a new website giving free support & information for EU citizens in the UK, run by Seraphus - a well-known immigration law firm. Find the information you need about your rights as an EU Citizen living in the UK. eucitizens.uk

We were part of the latest meeting for EUROMEC - the EU delegation to the UK's Ethnic Minority Citizens' Monitoring Network. They are looking for new members, so if you are an organisation working with ethnic minority European citizens in the UK do get in touch. www.eeas.europa.eu/delegations/...

The Guardian have a story about an EU citizen caught up in Home Office residency backlog forcibly removed from UK. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024... For guidance about travelling to the UK as an EU citizen, see: the3million.org.uk/travel-to-th...

Helena from the Brexit Couples team spoke at the Leicester Somali Festival (www.somdev-services.com/somali-le). Thank you to Somali Development Services for inviting us!

“When the Brexit vote was happening, I was 16 so I didn’t get the chance to have a say on something which has completely affected my future.” A Brexit couple speaks about their experience. www.independent.co.uk/life-style/h...

The new UK government has commissioned the Migration Advisory Committee to review the Minimum Income Requirements for partner/family visas. If you would like to share your views and experiences, the call for evidence is here: www.gov.uk/government/c...

Have a look at this Zine that vividly demonstrates the impact of the minimum income requirement #brexit #migrationresearch www.calameo.com/read/0063265...

With the general election in full swing, we want to highlight @rfuk.bsky.social who recently gave evidence to the Home Affairs Select Committee on the impact of the new MIR www.reunitefamiliesuk.co.uk/reunite-fami...

Here is some recent advice on making a spouse/partner visa application from FreeMovement freemovement.org.uk/how-to-apply...

Westminster Hall debate on 23 April 2024 – Minimum income thresholds for partner and spousal visas, organised by Paul Blomfield MP (Sheffield Central, Labour): parliamentlive.tv/event/index/... Transcript of the debate here: hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2024...

Consider signing this petition against the increase of the income requirement for family visas to £38,700 petition.parliament.uk/petitions/65... #UKimmigration #spousevisa #familymigration #familiesmatter

Katharine from the Brexit Couples project attended the strategy day for European ethnic minority citizens in the UK, hosted by the EU delegation. You can read about the event here: www.eeas.europa.eu/delegations/...