Booted out of Britain

Bad news for our family. The extension for our visa for the UK was denied without right of appeal. Bogus reasons like saying we missed the deadline, etc, but we think its all in God’s hands. We have 10 days to let them know when we are leaving. Harsh words like ‘should you fail to leave, enforcement action will be taken against you. Further consideration can be given to your case at that stage which could result in you being served with an enforcement decision which may generate a right of appeal’.

AHHhhhhhhhhhhhh. No, we dont have an immigration lawyer and are not going to fight it. Actually, we are thankful to God that He allowed us to live in the UK for 4 years and create a stable and wonderful base for our family. We came to the UK on an ancestry visa – based on my grandfather being born in the UK. It came at a perfect time and I was able to work for Church Mission Society during that period. And the kids attended a Scottish school and built up some identity as being Scottish.

But that chapter is over now and we need to find a new country to base ourselves in. New Zealand is too far away and most of my kids have never been there. USA is also too far away to launch into Africa and Europe. What to do???

This is all very bad timing for our son Samuel who has his audition for university in Glasgow (theatre arts) in a few days and will no longer be eligible. He also is the singer for a band and will have to leave his friends.

Andrew

Andrew Jones launched his first internet space in 1997 and has been teaching on related issues for the past 20 years. He travels all the time but lives between Wellington, San Francisco and a hobbit home in Prague.

25 Comments

  • tobit says:

    it is in God’s hands… (although that doesn’t mean it is any easier to deal with the issues this throws up), and you + family have our prayers.
    grace, peace and clarity

  • Jenny Baker says:

    Really sorry to hear this Andrew. Anything your British friends can do to stick up for you?

  • Sasa Flek says:

    aaaahhh!!!! If the Brittish don’t want you, remember, Prague is still there 🙂 At any rate, I agree you’re in His hands. Praying for His guidance!

  • Joanna says:

    So the Brits are less generous than the Americans, we had 15 days to leave the US, not that we were informed officially or anything, we had been told by immigration lawyers that we had 15 days after my husband’s resignation to leave as he was on a work visa – we didn’t hang around to test it out. I pray something is sorted soon for your son though, very frustrating!

  • Sorry to hear about that. Praying you will find a great place for your next Tirangawaewae. Your welcome anytime back in NZ

  • mattias says:

    Sorry to hear that!
    Pray that God will continue to lead you and open new and exciting doors for you.
    And Sweden is in need of creative and courageous missionaries… just saying…

  • Austin is a great place for theater types and musicians and not so expensive as NYC. Enjoyed meeting Elizabeth again last night. What a nice young woman.

  • Miz Melly says:

    Come to Ireland. Your wife is American right? We LOVE Americans!!! Your son could try for the new Academy of Dramatic arts starting in Dublin next year. Or the Samuel Beckett Centre at Trinity College Dublin.

  • prayers with you. The visa thingee is what’s kept me from moving even though my heart says go. It’s sad to see how this plays out at times.

  • whitney says:

    Prayers especially for Samuel! May God open up even cooler doors!!! And Knowing whatever place you guys end up in will be super blessed to have such servants of Love!!! hmmmm… can’t wait to see what happens! I know it will be amazing!

  • Reinhold says:

    Wow Andrew. What about coming to Thun and sitting together with some handpicked friends here and reflect?

  • Bummer!
    Sorry to hear – but it’s certain that God is in much greater control than we could ever know.
    Grace, peace and comfort to you and your family as you continue on your journey.

  • Sorry to hear this. Wish I could invite you out here, Barbados, but our status still not assured after 15 years! And we are a bit far from Europe.
    Praying.

  • Andrew Duirs says:

    Sorry to hear of your hassle’s with immigration Andrew. What about becoming Asylum seekers – any reasons it would be dangerous for you to return to Kiwi land? What about good old Perth – a full circle back to the days of outreach at the Royal Show. Look forward to hearing where you end up next.

  • Ron King says:

    In God’s hand, or cast out of God’s hand? God is always casting the seed far and wide. Seeds don’t grow in the hand. Very sorry to hear of the diaspora. I’m taking it up with the Farmer.

  • i suspect God’s got something AMAZING up His sleeve, and He has the biggest sleeve in the universe. praying it all shakes out quickly. peace to you from the “left coast.”

  • Andrew says:

    hey . . andrew (TSK) here – we LOVE you guys!!!! thanks so much for your warm invitations and advice
    yesterday our son Sam bought a ticket to USA – he is headed towards Austin [there ya go Debra!!] where he will try to make a base and eventually get into university. We are still traveling and still feeling the pinch of being REJECTED but happy that the future is more open than it has been.
    We still have much to do in this part of Europe and will focus on that for the time being.
    Appreciate your prayers.

  • brambonius says:

    Belgium is a challenge for even the most advaced missionary… Post-christian, higly secularised, and a very cynical and nihilistic form of postmodernism. Plus a lot of muslims who can be pretty extreme from time to time (the sharia 4 belgium site is offline though)… And political chaos at the moment… Doesn’t it sound perfect?
    (I’ll be praying)
    Bram

  • Hi there Andrew,
    Seems like God is leading you guys somewhere else.
    What do you think when I say Amsterdam or The Hague? We Dutchies also travel the whole world and could use some help in the CP movement that seems to arise slowly here.
    Luke 10:10-11
    May your lifes be roads God travels,
    Ronald (dutchtraveller)

  • Johnny Laird says:

    Oh wow! What a major headache…to say the least.
    Praying for you guys and hoping a resolution can be found really soon.
    J

  • Paul says:

    it appears the brits are becoming more and more difficult when it comes to the immigration authorities. I’ve had interns who’ve been treated very harshly, and also heard of groups/mission teams being refused entry, christian artists, musicians etc… I remember a few years in belfast chris tomlin was detained for several hours at immigration.
    aww well, wherever you’ll be it’ll be where God wants you.

  • Eric Bergquist says:

    I am grateful for your years of relative stability- Jones style. It has enriched you as a family. I pray for your whole family, but especially for Samuel. May God show you in this day the way you may uniquely bring Him glory. Take care of Debbie and the rest will follow.

  • Lorraine says:

    Chapters,
    This is a distressing bit of news, specifically for your son. I will obviously pray that God guides your path to new fruitful territory.
    A time to plant and a time to uproot (Ecc 3:2)
    I guess any uprooting is painful it is the relationships we create that become severed, but the early church were nomadic, and look what happened then.
    Blessings on you and your family
    Hugs Lorraine

  • Your faith is inspiring. Having to leave your home of 4 years on 10 days notice sounds like a monkey wrench in one’s plans, to say the least. To see that you leave it in God’s hands and follow your Lord is great. And when He is the one doing the moving, you can be sure the results will be godly.

  • erica says:

    Hello Andrew, have found your site through reading about you in an article. Do you know that there are at least 2 sources of free legal advice, and at least 1 which provides free legal representation in immigration appeals, in Scotland? Relocation Advisory Service and Immigration Advisory Service. The latter is a charity. Both are based in Glasgow. (If your papers were not submitted late, why would you fail on appeal?) There is probably another immigration route for your son to study in Scotland if you crashed on appeal. You could stay in scotland (in the UK) until an appeal is heard. Free advice and representation are available.
    good luck if you decide to try.

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