ex wife threatining to contact HO & revoke BP

[grino2k2]

Dear All,

I've found this forum to be incredibly supportive since my arrival in the UK back in January 2004. Today, I find myself in a bit of a confused state, seeking guidance on an immigration matter.

To provide some context, I arrived in the UK on a study visa in January 2004. I successfully completed my BSc at Middlesex University in 2007 and subsequently enrolled for an MSc at Queen Mary. Unfortunately, due to personal challenges, I was unable to complete the degree. I then enrolled in a college that was later blacklisted by the Home Office, resulting in the revocation of all associated visas. I overstayed and worked odd jobs until September 2012, when I married a Polish national. I was granted a visa in March 2013, followed by (ILR) in 2019 and obtained British citizenship in December 2022. I received my British passport in Jan 2023.

Sadly, my marriage ended in divorce in September 2019. Although the separation was relatively amicable, I provided £65k in divorce compensation to my ex-wife, despite not being legally obligated to do so. We shared seven years of life together, which I considered significant. We did not have any children together.

Recently, my ex-wife reappeared in my life, requesting £5k. She threatened to report me to the Home Office, alleging that our marriage was solely for immigration purposes, which could jeopardize my British passport. Initially, I chose to ignore her messages, but she persisted, prompting a conversation between us. I explained my current financial struggles and expressed my belief that resorting to blackmail or extortion was unacceptable. Despite my financial limitations, I sent her £1k as a gesture of goodwill. She remained silent for a week before reiterating her threats, insisting that I financially support her or face consequences.

I remarried a Russian citizen in April 2022, and she is now in the UK on a spouse visa. We are eagerly awaiting the arrival of our first child in June this year.

Given the complexity of my situation, I am unsure of the best course of action. While consulting a solicitor seems advisable, I wanted to gather insights from this community first.

Thank you all for your continued support and guidance.

Thank you

[AmazonianX]

First question is: was your marriage to your previous wife based solely for immigration purposes I.e. contract marriage? You know the right or correct answer to that so provide a response and you will get suggestions or advice as appropriate.

If it was not you already see reason why you don't give in to blackmail....it won't stop and you will never satisfy the greed of someone towing that path.

[Frontier Mole]

There is not a hope in hell of any action being taken against you that will impact your British Citizenship.
Your ex can make as many allegations as she wants on the assumption she wants to implicate herself too.
She is blackmailing you - your first response is to say get on with it, and you are going to the police to report her blackmail.

[secret.simon]

Your ex can make as many allegations as she wants on the assumption she wants to implicate herself too.

To expand further on that, at least under the EEA Regulations, a "marriage of convenience" requires both parties to have been aware that it was purely for immigration purposes and not a real substantive marriage. If either party truly treated the marriage as a substantive marriage, it was not a "marriage of convenience".

So, as Frontier Mole notes above, she is also implicating/accusing herself in being a party to a marriage of convenience.

I concur with them that you should gather your evidence and at least inform the police of the attempted blackmail.

[grino2k2]

Thank you all for your contributions thus far. I wanted to provide an update regarding my situation with my ex-wife. After a week of silence, she has now come back requesting £60k. She explained that she needs this money for renovating her house in Poland so she can relocate there in the summer, with the remainder going towards her father's dementia treatment. She plans to leave the UK for good in June of this year.

@Frontier Mole, I appreciate your positive response. However, my ex-wife has reiterated her threat, claiming she has evidence from our text messages dating back to 2012, suggesting our marriage was solely for immigration purposes. While immigration was a factor at the time as I was an overstayer at the time, we lived together as a normal couple for seven years, traveling to over ten countries on holiday and sharing a life together. I have plenty of photos and messages to support this.

She has given me a final warning, stating she has consulted a solicitor and intends to pursue her allegations. She has threatened that I will have to surrender my British passport soon.

I sought advice from the solicitor who handled my citizenship application and divorce proceedings. He recommended reporting her to the police for blackmail and blocking her.

Any further advice would be greatly appreciated.

[CR001]

I sought advice from the solicitor who handled my citizenship application and divorce proceedings. He recommended reporting her to the police for blackmail and blocking her.

100% this is what you should do and add harrassment to the list.

[Casa]

I sought advice from the solicitor who handled my citizenship application and divorce proceedings. He recommended reporting her to the police for blackmail and blocking her.

100% this is what you should do and add harrassment to the list.

I absolutely agree with Char. Once your ex-wife is made aware that you have reported this to the police, I'm sure she will disappear.

[grino2k2]

Thank you. However, she has emphasized that she possesses text messages from 2012 where I offered her money. Despite our years of living together as a typical couple, she insists that our initial motives were solely immigration-related. She suggests that I will face citizenship revocation as a consequence. Is there any validity to her claims?

[alterhase58]

Don’t be drawn into a continuous slanging match. As previously advised report this to police. It’s up to the police/home office and courts to decide whether there was any criminality and whether there is evidence to prove this, and what consequences you/she might be facing.
Appreciate it it is very stressful but you need to stand by your case. We can’t say what if anything could happen.
British citizenship is not simple to remove, it’s not an immigration visa!

[Frontier Mole]

The facts speak for themselves- you lived together as husband and wife for 7 years. Regardless of the text from all those years back, she married you and you lived together. I doubt very much the Home Office will take action because they would have to unpick all the evidence of the 7 years you were together. Remember they sanctioned the marriage…
Blackmail is a very very serious offence and she will go to prison as well as implicit herself equally or more so In her allegations. The whole she has gone to a solicitor quote is an absolute nonsense designed to worry you and give an air of legitimacy. There is not a solicitor in the U.K. that would touch this with a barge pole if she declared she was blackmailing you.
It is a vile scam attempt that will only work if you let it.

[AmazonianX]

The solicitor consulted has given appropriate advice in line with what you heard here first.
Do not succumb to the blackmail, if you do it's a pathway with know end.
Get in touch with the police and report.

[Ticktack]

There's an old saying "See no evil, hear no evil". Send her a message that if you ever hear from her again, you're going straight to police to report her for blackmail.

The criminal offence of blackmail under the s 21 of the Theft Act 1968 (TA 1968) is the act of making an unwarranted demand with menaces with a view to making a gain or causing a loss. The penalty for blackmail can be a sentence of up to 14 years in prison.

Next move as advised above is to block her number. If you never hear from her again, it doesn't bother you. And if you do, walk into any police station and report.

And you can relax, because in all honesty, she can't do jack and only using your fears against you! Time to use hers against her and turn the tide.