A HIGHBRIDGE mother who faces her family being ripped apart after her husband was handed a deportation order said she is feeling ‘sick but hopeful’ after a date was set for a Supreme Court ruling.

As reported in the Weekly News, Caroline Coombs has been fighting for the last 16 months for her husband, Ecuadorian-born Carlos Alarcon Real, 49, to be given the right to remain in the country and look after their 15-month-old son, Thomas.

He originally entered the UK on a visitor visa last June, but the couple then decided to stay in the UK and explored options for him to stay permanently, but he was told he was unable to get a visa to return to Ecuador.

The Supreme Court ruled UK sponsors must have a minimum gross annual income of £18,600 before they can apply for spouses or partners from outside the European Economic Area to join them.

But it added that the rules and instructions “unlawfully fail to take proper account” of the Home Secretary’s duty to have regard to the need to safeguard and promote the welfare of children when making decisions which affect them.

Mr Alarcon Real is not able to work or volunteer and instead cares for the couple’s son full-time, and Ms Coombs hopes the appeal hearing, which will be held on July 16, will grant him a visa.

Ms Coombs, who said the last 16 months had a huge impact on her family, said: “The court date gives us hope and something to work towards. We are going in front of a person, a judge who will get to meet us and see our situation before making a decision and I can only hope for the best.

“This whole experience has been beyond anything anyone can imagine, it has put such a strain on our family. I am £20,000 in debt because of the legal fees and because my husband can’t work or volunteer it has made things really difficult for us mentally, physically, financially.

“I am scared about how I can afford the legal fees, its a lot of stress for one family to have.”

The family is set to go to the Supreme Court on July 16 and Caroline said she feels positive about the case.

She said: “As long as I have done everything I can to save my family, I can do no more.

"When I saw the court date had been sent to us I felt sick but hopeful that our family won’t be torn apart.

“Something really came home to me after reading the court date, we have to go in front of a judge and fight for our family.

"I think it is wrong we have to fight to keep our family together.

“I just really hope we can stay together.”

Over the last few months, the determined mother has been hard at work to make people aware of the strain deportation can have on families.

She said: “I think it is fundamentally wrong the government is tearing apart innocent families just so they can keep their immigration numbers down, these are people we are talking about, not numbers, its all very unnecessary and is costly to families.”

“My friends have been really supportive of us during this time and the media have been great at getting the word out.

"I have to believe that what has happened to us has happened for a reason.”

Caroline has now set up a fundraising page online to help raise money for the solicitor fees for the case. 

She hopes to raise £3,000 to cover the costs. 

For more information about the family's fight or to donate visit https://www.generosity.com/fundraising/help-keep-our-family-together--5