Eastbourne man’s desperate bid to see his family again

An Eastbourne man who hasn’t seen his children in a year is desperately trying to reunite with his family.
Peter with Yang Mi Kyung, Eileen and Henry SUS-200623-105204001Peter with Yang Mi Kyung, Eileen and Henry SUS-200623-105204001
Peter with Yang Mi Kyung, Eileen and Henry SUS-200623-105204001

Peter Muffett moved back home from South Korea when his mother fell terminally ill in 2019 – and he has been trying to get his Korean wife and their two young children to live here legally ever since.

The trainee teacher said, “I haven’t lived with my children for a year this month. It’s been really tough.

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“I feel we have been forgotten about. I’m devastated. One of the hardest things for me is Skype.”

Peter and his family SUS-200623-105216001Peter and his family SUS-200623-105216001
Peter and his family SUS-200623-105216001

Peter, 45, says video calling his family is heartbreaking because his children, Henry, two, and Eileen, seven, try to hug him but can’t.

His wife Yang Mi Kyung is a Korean national but she has studied and worked in Eastbourne, where she is known as Mia.

Peter put in an application for a visa for her in March, spending around £5,000 getting the correct legal advice and forms filled in.

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He has also saved almost £30,000 and Yang Mi Kyung has had to pay a number of years-worth of National Insurance up front.

Peter with his family SUS-200623-105150001Peter with his family SUS-200623-105150001
Peter with his family SUS-200623-105150001

Coronavirus has made the complicated process even more difficult, and Peter still hasn’t had a concrete response from the Home Office.

On top of this, because he earns less than £18,000 a year, his claim falls below the minimum income rule (MIR) – which stops British citizens sponsoring a partner if they earn beneath £18,000.

“I really want to see my children,” said Peter, “I want to bring my whole family here to Eastbourne.

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“I know people keep saying this but it really is unprecedented times. And all this is because I have fallen in love with someone outside the EU.”

Peter and Yang Mi Kyung met when he was travelling. They moved to Eastbourne in 2007 where they both studied and worked here.

Yang Mi Kyung studied for a masters at the University of Sussex. She also worked as an assistant manager in Eastbourne.

They got married in Eastbourne but returned to South Korea where they had their two children.

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But last year Peter’s mother became terminally ill and he returned to the UK to look after her and be with her.

Ever since he has been working to make it so they can legally come and live here. The MIR was brought in in 2012, which has made it that much harder.

‘If you have a life with someone you should be able to live it in your home country’

Mary Atkinson of the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants has been helping Peter and his family with their application.

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She said, “We are very worried families will be separated by [the minimum income rule].

“That’s a massive worry. After we leave the EU, the government intends to extend these rules to people with a partner from Europe.

“Evidential requirements are ridiculously high. Unless you meet those exact requirements you are just not going to apply.”

There is currently an immigration bill going through Parliament, where MPs will be debating whether to scrap the rule or extend it after Brexit.

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Mary said, “It seems like common sense to a lot of people – if you have a life with someone you should be able to live it here in your home country.

“The opposition party wants to scrap it. I want Conservatives to think about what it means to be separated from your family.

“There’s no justifications for this – parents separated from their children. I don’t think that’s what people want, I don’t think people voted for that.”

The Eastbourne MP Caroline Ansell has been helping Peter with his situation.

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She said, “I fully understand Mr Muffett’s desire to be reunited with his family and we have given help and advice to him.

“We also raised his wife’s immigration case with the Home Office in March but the Coronavirus emergency has made progress difficult as travel restrictions have put visa applications on hold.

“The UK Visa South Korean Office opened on the June 22 and this should make the situation easier. I will be in touch with Mr Muffett again to see if there is anything more I can do.”

Home Office responds

A Home Office spokesperson said, “Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the visa application centre (VAC) in Seoul closed on March 23 and we are therefore not in a position to implement any decisions which would have been dealt with by this VAC.

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“Work is ongoing with our commercial partners, who operate the overseas VACs, to restart operations factoring in local restrictions.”

To find out more about the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants, visit jcwi.org.uk

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