Please save my wife Pauline Taylor-French

Pauline and I have been together for 3½ years and happily married for 16 months. Pauline, a Jamaican national, has lived in the UK for over 17 years under a series of home office approvals. All her family are here with settled status. Pauline has British grandmothers and her grandfather fought with the Royal Navy in World War 2.

A cheerful and likeable person who always puts others first, Pauline has contributed positively to British society, including previously as a qualified carer for the elderly. Voluntary care she has provided has allowed my aunt to continue living in her own home following a serious car accident.

Our application for a spouse visa was refused in September 2017 despite meeting all the eligibility criteria and Pauline was immediately taken to Yarls Wood Immigration Removal Centre. She was held there for 24 days until we managed to secure bail with help from the charity Bail for Immigration Detainees (BID). Just 3 weeks beforehand the Home Office had given us the go ahead to get married! The matter has been front page news in the local press (first “Shrewsbury bride’s hopes dashed” and then “Wife loses battle to stay in UK"). We were finally able to get married a week after Pauline’s bail.

Pauline was subject to serious abuse as a child and has been diagnosed with some debilitating mental health conditions though she always puts on a positive face. Whilst in detention she lost 1½ stone and was placed on suicide watch. The G4S medical team did nothing.

Our solicitor submitted a further human rights application which was recently refused and Pauline was told to immediately leave the UK or face severe punishment. They said no new information had been submitted and there was nothing to stop us from living together in Jamaica, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Their decision relied on a previous decision more than 5 years out of date. It completely ignored clear advice from NHS professionals and the fact that my specialist work helps add millions to the regional economy!

Our solicitor immediately recommended a Judicial Review. Pauline's GP is so concerned at her poor treatment that she has referred the matter to the British Medical Council. Dozens of people are being profoundly affected, including vulnerable children and adults.

As the wife of a British citizen Pauline in theory meets all the requirements for a spouse application submitted from Jamaica but like her previous applications this could take another 16 months to determine with no guarantee of success. Given her current condition I doubt she would last a single day in Jamaica, isolated and cut off from her home and loving family. Is this the way to treat someone with the potential to make such a positive contribution to the UK?

Immigration rules must be interpreted with flexibility and compassion. Forcing Pauline out of the country and potentially destroying so many innocent lives is a very severe punishment for someone who has committed no real crime. It has absolutely no regard to human rights.

We call on the Home Office to stop interfering with the lives of the thousands of normal people targeted by the indiscriminate hostile environment policy and to reverse this cruel and inhumane decision.