British soldier refused UK visa for family
August 17 2009 by Rebekah Nahai
Family of British ex-soldier denied UK visa
A British serviceman who fought in Afghanistan and Iraq for 13 months has been refused a UK visa for his Canadian wife and daughter.
Darren Jarrad, 28, served as an infantryman private with the Royal Anglian Regiment and retired from army service in April 2008.
He met his wife Chantel Barden, 24, while on a training exercise in Canada in 2006. Their 2-year-old daughter Shyanne was born in 2007 and the couple were married in Canada earlier this year.
They applied for a UK visa so Chantel and Shyanne could join him at his home in Norfolk, England.
UK immigration officials say the visa application was rejected because Mr Jarrad, who works as a floor technician and restorer, does not qualify as earning enough to support a family. The assumption is that the family will turn to state benefits for support.
A spokesperson for the UK Border Agency said: “The system is firm and fair, and it applies to everyone.
“All applications for visas to enter the country are considered in line with the UK's immigration rules taking into account all relevant circumstances.
“For example, an applicant for a spouse would need to demonstrate that they will be able to maintain themselves without recourse to public funds.”
Mr Jarrad calls the visa application refusal a “kick in the teeth” after serving his country in the armed forces.
“I didn't mind going out to Afghanistan and Iraq, I didn't complain. I just don't understand why they won't let us have the visa. I'm not a rich bloke, but we have enough money, and I have never claimed anything off the government.”
The ex-serviceman is meeting with North Norfolk MP Norman Lamb's staff to discuss the situation.
Mr Lamb said: “I will support his case, which appears to involve some pretty dismal payback from the government to someone who has committed to serve their country.
“We have to change the way we treat the people who serve this country. For someone to fight for their country in the pretty horrendous circumstances of Afghanistan and then face being separated from his family doesn't seem right.”
Ms Barden says they are planning a fallback option for Mr Jarrad to move to Canada. The couple have been separated since April, when Ms Barden’s UK visa expired.
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