This gay family are appealing a Home Office decision to deport one of the men back to Cuba (Picture: Change.org/D Hutchinson)
A Gay family consisting of a British man and his US-Cuban partner have been told that their relationship will survive ‘through modern means of communication’ in a Home Office decision.
The pair met in the US in 2011.
But their family life as at risk after they recently lodged a second appeal for Alex to remain in the country.
Starting a petition on Change. org, UK citizen Donavan and his partner Alex live in Sheffield, northern England.
Gay family appealing Home Office decision
‘Firstly, he had a six-month visa to come over,” said Donavan to Pink News.
‘He was working at Armani on South Beach – and was going to head back after the visa expired.
‘But we decided that we wanted to stay together, I definitely didn’t want him to go, because everything had finally fitted into place.’
The couple have faced a two-year long visa application that has set them back ‘thousands and thousands’.
Alex then received a letter stating he would be deported back to his native Cuba.
‘It was 28 days from receipt of the letter.
‘We received the letter two weeks after the letter was generated by the Home Office. We had no time.’
They reportedly submitted 1500 photos of their family and had 70 of their loved ones vouch for their relationship.
Couple ‘don’t want to get married for the sake of the visa’
(Picture: Change.org)
‘They said the fact that I was a high taxpayer, I would have the ability to travel to Cuba to go and visit.
‘They also couldn’t find a tickbox for a partner under the same definition for same-sex couples, which hindered us drastically.
However, Alex hasn’t lived in Cuba since he was a teenager, where attitudes towards gay couples are not as relaxed.
‘We’ve already planned to get married this year in August but I don’t want to get married for the sake of the visa because the Home Office don’t recognise our partnership.
‘It’s just been extremely stressful,’ he said.
The pair need 100 signatures as part of their change.org petition to bolster Alex’s right to stay.
