The wife of a Dundee man with Asperger’s Syndrome has revealed that she fears for her husband’s safety as she battles the Home Office to remain in the country.
Karen Officer, a US citizen, married her husband, Bruce, 46, at Arbroath Abbey in September last year following an online relationship.
Mrs Officer, 52, first began to visit her future husband in 2010 after the pair met for the first time and instantly bonded.
Mrs Officer regularly visited Dundee University graduate Bruce, who now lives in England, and his son.
Mrs Officer decided to remain in the UK during a visit in 2012 after becoming disturbed by her partner’s deterioration in health and was granted an initial six month visa by the Home Office.
Soon afterwards she said, she began to be hounded by the UK Government over claims that she failed to give the authority all relevant documents for her application and had stayed beyond the agreed six months a claim she denies.
After rejecting her plea for permanent residence to take care of her partner, the Home Office, according to Mrs Officer, threatened to make it impossible for her to remain in the UK.
Though she has now been granted an appeal which will be held in October, the whole experience has left Mrs Officer scared her husband’s condition will plummet should she have to return to America.
Arguing that the Home Office sees non-EU immigrants as a “soft touch”, she explained: “I was initially given six months to stay in the UK and filed my application for a permanent visa before the six months was up.
“The Home Office however declined my application.
“When I told the Home Office I intended to stay in the UK until they issued me with a removal order, so I could gain the right to appeal, they began to harass both myself and my husband.
“They constantly called us and sent us threatening letters which upset me and was very unsettling for my husband with his condition.
“I thought I could come to the UK and live happily ever after whilst taking care of my husband and his son, but this has been so scary and upsetting.
“These people have no empathy and no respect for a disabled citizen’s health or happiness.
“We have lots of reports from social workers saying I am my husband’s best support and that there is no other support in the area.
“I don’t know what we will do if I have to leave.
Mrs Officer has now launched a petition to gain support for her plight and has so far received more than 600 signatures.
A Home Office spokesman said: “All applications are considered on their individual merits and in accordance with the immigration rules.
“This case is ongoing and so it would be inappropriate to comment further.”