tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19028456.post79293149165388342..comments2023-10-02T16:20:05.107+02:00Comments on People become stories and stories become understanding: You cannot even begin to imagine what the Belgian Service for Foreigners did this time ...Di Mackeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00273089782589416134noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19028456.post-67410189157624797092007-08-09T09:10:00.000+02:002007-08-09T09:10:00.000+02:00Hi Farfallina, you're right and I'm really not sur...Hi Farfallina, you're right and I'm really not sure what would happen if I tried to take Gert back to New Zealand. <BR/><BR/>Family is sacred and now I have two on opposite sides of the world ... <BR/><BR/>Thanks for your luck wish, it seems to have come true in the intervening days :)<BR/><BR/>V-grrrl, as usual you left me smiling with your reply. Who knows if your solution would work ... it's Europe and they're so much more with it about nudity and 'territory marking'...<BR/><BR/><BR/>Hi Harvey ... I think everywhere is bad these days. It's sad when you consider migration is the way of the human.<BR/><BR/>It's embarassing isn't it Christina. Like NZ, Canada was colonised by the same people, and Belgians were colonisers too, suddenly we have all these rules that seem very hypocritical when you consider our collective pasts.<BR/><BR/>I think the little people are simpler to deal with. Imagine if Gert hadn't been involved, hadn't read through the 8 page fax in Dutch and hadn't known who to contact. It's a fairly effective passive aggressive deterrent ... and it's not just Belgium who does it.Di Mackeyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00273089782589416134noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19028456.post-7261930550131537352007-08-08T15:59:00.000+02:002007-08-08T15:59:00.000+02:00Oh dear! Canada has similar policies when it comes...Oh dear! Canada has similar policies when it comes to reunifying families. If a child is over 22 and not in full-time studies and/or being supported by their parents financially they are not considereded a dependent and must try to get into the country on their own accord. Being in a common-law relationship is also a deterrent. Doesn't seem fair at all, does it? Family is family, I say. Why don't they just leave the little people alone and worry about the big stuff??christinahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15991148606497381478noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19028456.post-57981426649748496702007-08-07T21:04:00.000+02:002007-08-07T21:04:00.000+02:00And I thought Singapore was bad! At least there t...And I thought Singapore was bad! At least there the process is open and if your paperwork is in order you're OK. This seems all very hostile and traumatic. Hang in there!Harvey Molloyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13168420609485849643noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19028456.post-25913646037601407002007-08-07T16:27:00.000+02:002007-08-07T16:27:00.000+02:00I have the perfect solution: Jessica should go to ...I have the perfect solution: Jessica should go to the Service for Foreigners office naked and dirty and holding only her paperwork. That should "prove" she is without an income or a home of her own. : )<BR/><BR/>P.S. While she's there, she can pee on the building steps and mark her territory.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19028456.post-19827715345996485562007-08-07T01:26:00.000+02:002007-08-07T01:26:00.000+02:00Ah, the joys of bureaucracy! This experience is co...Ah, the joys of bureaucracy! <BR/><BR/>This experience is common in too many countries, not just Belgium unfortunately. <BR/><BR/>Though family is a sacred thing and should always be allowed to re-unite<BR/><BR/>Good luck with this, it's frustrating, I'm sure..Roam2Romehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02401312681510618547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19028456.post-17982636123783503172007-08-06T20:32:00.000+02:002007-08-06T20:32:00.000+02:00I don't like saying bad things about Belgium and I...I don't like saying bad things about Belgium and I suspect that this kind of attitude is more common than I realised, even if immigration has been happening forever however this response stunned both Gert and I as we had read up on the rules before entering into the process.<BR/><BR/>Today's paperwork appears to directly contradict the laws that apply to family reunification.<BR/><BR/>And you know I wouldn't be doingthis if Gert didn't have two young children. Even now, I'm trying to target my business at non-Belgians so as not to take business from Belgian natives. <BR/><BR/>If I hadn't met Gert I would have stayed over in Istanbul where I was made so welcome, or I would have gone home to New Zealand, instead here we are.<BR/><BR/>I wondered if a passive form of anti-immigration was being pursued. Too many people wouldn't know where to look for the laws or know who to write to. Let's see how it goes.Di Mackeyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00273089782589416134noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19028456.post-56582897397871006662007-08-06T20:22:00.000+02:002007-08-06T20:22:00.000+02:00I know what you're experiencing right now Di..Afte...I know what you're experiencing right now Di..<BR/><BR/>After the "the doors are open" policy during the 90s, Belgium's immigration services currently try their utmost to prevent legitimate family reunifications.<BR/><BR/>They will almost resort to anything to lower the immigration figures. <BR/><BR/>Like you noticed, they will behave like a bunch of retarded idiots, make crazy demands and contradict themselves with an "we own this place" attitude.<BR/><BR/>One of my brothers married a non-native, non-EU citizen: they even had to prove their marriage wasn't "fake" (imagine, they already had a child).<BR/><BR/>You've gone through all this absurd bureaucracy before, I can imagine it starts to turn your stomach.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com