The process which was necessary for my American wife to secure that ever-so-important “indefinite leave to remain” stamp on her passport was simple.

An immigration officer, who worked out of a small office on the cross-channel ferry, checked our documents, looked at our marriage certificate, stamped my wife’s passport and that was it.

Except it wasn’t.

We arrived back at Newhaven from our honeymoon to discover that the last bus to Brighton, where we lived, had gone. So we hitchhiked and were picked up and driven home – by the immigration officer.

He told us that he was confident that our marriage was genuine rather than one of convenience. In those days, he had the power to make that judgment. No questions were asked about our income, which was paltry as I was a post-graduate student at the time.

Things are rather different now and a couple in a similar position currently faces insuperable hurdles, largely thanks to rules brought in by Theresa May in 2012. The government’s determination to bring down immigration numbers has led to what can only be described as rough justice which is splitting families.

Feelings are running high among expats. A British citizen wanting to return home with a spouse must be able to prove an annual income of £18,600 or have cash savings of at least £62,500. Throw in a child and then the income threshold goes up by another £3,800. Additional children increase the figure by £2,400 each.