Caroline Coombs -Executive Director
Having co-founded the group with Jane Yilmaz in 2017, Caroline has led the development of Reunite Families UK [RFUK] from a small private FB group to a funded not for profit organisation that supports families affected by UK Spouse visa rules. Caroline oversees the ongoing development of the organisation and leads a variety of RFUK’s projects and campaigns. Having come from a career in television, she is putting her skills to use creating working relationships with UKVI, migration organisations, immigration experts, academics and press to help grow the organisation and raise awareness in the public domain having got the issue on mainstream news and in the press. Her dedication and motivation are fuelled by personal experience of the rules and the refusal of her own husband’s visa that led to a one year battle with the Home Office.
Jane Yilmaz – Co- Founder and Director
Jane manages RFUK with Caroline working across the website and network expansion. With personal experience of the family migration system, Jane knows only too well the damage the process can have on couples and children and puts this challenging experience to positive use helping others through the organisation she co-founded with Caroline. When she is not dealing with immigration, she is runs a tennis coaching business helping people become the next Wimbledon champion!
Carlos Alarcon Real – Finance Manager
Carlos has a business background with experience in both government and private sectors in the US, Latin America and the UK. Hailing from Ecuador in South America, Carlos manages RFUK’s books and as a non British spouse he knows only too well how challenging the process is
Matteo Besana – Advocacy and Campaigns Manager
Matteo has years of experience working at the intersection of advocacy and communication across various sectors including environmental organisations and more recently NGOs and local authorities in the migration sector. He has worked for IMIX, the immigration communications charity; Islington Council helping Local Authorities and individuals navigate the complexities of the No Recourse to Public Fund conditions; and previously led the COVID-19 Advocacy Project at Doctors of the Word UK which had the aim of making sure that everyone, regardless of immigration status or personal circumstances was able to access COVID-19 treatment including the vaccine. He is a political and news junkie which he puts to great use advocating for a more welcoming UK for people who call [and want to call] the country their home.
Tamsin Koumis- Researcher
Tamsin is working on the mental health research project for RFUK. Her work in the ‘migrant’s rights’ sector began in 2012, visiting women in immigration detention centre. She now works freelance across social justice and migration related projects, in a range of roles. She is interested in change – individual, community, and society level change, and believes that effective research can be a powerful tool to bring this about.
Non-Executive Directors
Robert Elston
Robert has personal experience of the visa system, having dealt with a visa refusal by the home office. Robert has been the Chief Executive of Status Employment a specialist health well-being and employment charity for disabled people. He has also been involved with the British Association for Supported Employment (BASE) and is their Treasurer. He is also director of Inclusive Trading Ltd the training arm of BASE. In his role in BASE he has been the European representative and has
represented BASE on the board of the European Union of Supported Employment (EUSE), where he was a Vice President for 6 years and still remains on the board. Robert works closely with Caroline and Jane, in offering support and guidance when needed as well as overseeing the financial side of Reunite Families and supporting the financial and administration staff member.
Ian Robinson
Ian is a Partner at Vialto Partners, the international law firm specialising in global mobility. Ian specialises in immigration law and before joining Vialto he held several roles in the Home Office including Assistant Director on Economic Migration.
Anjana Daniel
Anjana is a solicitor with over nine years’ experience in UK immigration, asylum, and nationality law. She has extensive experience in advising individuals and families with their personal immigration matters, with a focus on spouse, private life, settlement, and European applications.
