MRG members, Dr Jonathan Collinson (School of Law) and Dr Patricia Nabuco Martuscelli (Politics and International RelationsP, with Dr Gemma Manning (University of Huddersfield) collaborated on a joint response to the Migration Advisory Committee Consultation on the minimum income requirement for UK partner visas. Their consultation response combined social science evidence on the discriminatory effects of the minimum income requirement, and a legal analysis of the human rights to family life, and for children affected by family separation to have their best interests considered in policy development. Currently the UK based partner needs an income of £29,000pa to sponsor the entry of a non-British partner to the UK. The consultation arose out the Labour government's pause of a proposed increase of the minimum income requirement to at least £38,000pa. Their consultation response argued that both levels were too high because of it has an unjustifiable, disproportionate, negative impact on the family life of young people, women, and racialised minorities, and has negative impacts on the wellbeing of children whose family unit is separated because of the policy.
You can read the full version of their joint response here.