Respect is what we want and what we will fight for

Respect is what we want and what we will fight for

It's humiliating what we face being migrants at this moment.

Our voices need to be heard. 

Our concerns need to be raised, supported, and taken into consideration. 

It is time to stand together and demand fair treatment.

As a migrant in the United Kingdom since 2018, I am deeply concerned and feel violated by the unjustifiable increase in visa fees and Immigration Health Surcharge (increasing by 66%) imposed by the government, announced on 13 July by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. 

The outrageous measure will affect every single person who is either applying for a visa to come to the UK or renewing a visa to stay in the country.

These exorbitant charges are already an extortionate burden on individuals like myself, who hold temporary visas, with no access to any public funds. 

As a testament to the impact of these fees, my husband and I have already spent over £16,000 on visa fees and Immigration Health Surcharge for ourselves and our two children since 2018. Next month, we will be paying £7,252 to renew our visas. This figure relates only to visa fees and Immigration Health Surcharge for four people. But this government still wants more. 

They expect us to be responsible for their incompetence to fund a pay rise for essential workers. 

They want us, migrants who have no access to public funds or free access to NHS, to be paying for their inability to manage the country's budget.

As full-time workers, my husband and I have always paid all taxes and national insurance just like anybody else. However, it is disheartening that despite our contributions, we are still required to pay additional charges just to access essential healthcare services through the NHS. Individuals with work visas diligently fulfil their tax obligations like any other full-time worker in this country. 

Yet they are subjected to discriminatory policies that demand extra payments for NHS usage rights. 

This double taxation not only places an unfair financial burden on hardworking migrants but also undermines their sense of belonging within British society.

These exorbitant fees take everything away from us: our peace, our wellbeing, our right to live with quality and dignity, our right to sleep without having to worry about our family’s future in this country.

Over the last four years, having to find money to renew our visas has taken away from my family our hope to be reunited with our beloved ones in Brazil, as it was impossible to financially manage the impacts of the inflation, the living costs and an international trip.

Deep inside, our hearts are in pieces. We are exhausted emotionally and our faith seems to be vanishing.

We feel that no matter what we do, no matter how much we contribute to the UK, we will always be far away from where we’d like to belong.

This is why I have launched a petition to stop the visa fees hike the government is proposing.

The purpose of my petition is not to seek unwarranted benefits or privileges; rather, it aims at urging the government to treat us with respect and fairness. 

We deserve equal treatment under existing laws while recognising our significant contributions toward building a prosperous nation.

We demand a fair and just immigration system that respects the contributions of hardworking immigrants, ensuring a more inclusive and welcoming United Kingdom for all.

Juliana Lôbo is a Brazilian national living in the UK with her family on a work visa.

Photo: Courtesy of Juliana Lôbo