A LEADING immigration lawyer has pilloried the UK Home Office over their delay processing a visa for the terminally ill mother of a Syrian student in Scotland.
Usman Aslam spoke after Hoda Eid died in Syria two months after her son Obada won an appeal for the family to be reunited here.
“The court initially expedited this tragic case but the Home Office failed to review it urgently as they were ordered to,” Aslam said.
“We won our appeal nearly two months ago and since then they have been sitting on their hands.
“It’s as if it is immune to the heartbreak they cause people. It is not fit for purpose. All Obada wanted was to see his mother one last time after she was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer in December and he has been denied that through the Home Office’s inaction. He is, understandably, distraught, especially since he couldn’t get to his mother’s funeral, given burials in Syria are usually arranged as soon as possible after a death.”
Aslam, who is a senior associate at Mukhtar & Co in Glasgow, added: “This is yet another case of ours that should reiterate to the public that safe routes to come to the UK are being made increasingly difficult.
“As soon as the Home Office appeal period allowance finished, our office made contact with [Glasgow East MP] John Grady’s office who helpfully made contact with the Home Office through parliamentary channels to expedite the issuing of the visa.
“This behaviour with the Home Office needs to stop. At a high price they find the staff to issue visas within a few days on other visa routes yet no explanation as to the delay here.”
Obada, who lives in Glasgow’s Saltmarket, came here to study nearly five years ago at a time when more than half of Syria’s population of 24 million were displaced by a decade-long civil war.
His mother wanted to see him one last time and for him to be reunited with his brother and sister. She struggled to the Lebanese capital Beirut to deliver paperwork to the nearest UK consular office which would enable her to come to Scotland.
However, the documents became caught up in a Home Office logjam before officials eventually rejected the application. The family won their case on appeal, but news of the decision was withheld in case the Home Office contested it.
At the time, Obada said: “I do feel excited and happy but unfortunately, my mum’s situation is getting worse. I am not sure yet when they’ll arrive as we are waiting for the Home Office to expedite the visa process.”
Now he is too distraught to speak, MP Grady told us: “It is devastatingly sad the family’s visas were not issued in time before they could spend time together as a family before Hoda, their mum, died and say their last goodbyes together.
“I asked the Home Office to speed up consideration because Hoda had been diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. I am very disappointed that the visas were not granted in time.
“There are terrible delays in the UK immigration system – and each delay has a human cost. These delays are because the Tories focused on expensive gimmicks rather than making the system work. The Labour government is working incredibly hard to get the system back on its feet.”
A Home Office spokesperson said: “Our thoughts are with Hoda’s family and friends during this difficult time. We work hard to ensure families are reunited as soon as possible, in accordance with immigration rules.”
