A Syrian refugee says the Home Office has “broken her heart” by trying to bar her mother, who has weeks to live, from coming to the UK to spend her final days with the grandchildren she has never met.
Ola Al Hamwi fled Syria with her husband, Mostafa Amonajid, in 2015. They had lost their baby after a bombing and were unable to take Al Hamwi’s mother, Soaad Al Shawa, with them.
The couple were granted refugee status in the UK and applied to bring Al Shawa, 57, to the UK under the refugee family reunion scheme, but were rejected.
They live in Glasgow with their three children aged seven, five and one. Al Shawa has never met her grandchildren and has been able to communicate with them only on video calls. Last year, she was diagnosed with terminal liver cancer and in November was given about six months to live by doctors in Syria.
Another application for refugee family reunion was made after the terminal cancer diagnosis, which was rejected by the Home Office.
The family appealed and a judge in the first tier tribunal of the immigration court granted the appeal in April, citing article 8 of the European convention on human rights, which relates to the right to family life.
The family were overjoyed and relayed the news to Al Shawa, who began to make preparations to come to the UK. The plan was for Al Shawa’s neighbours to take her to neighbouring Jordan or Lebanon where Amonajid, 36, could meet her and bring her to the UK. Because Al Hamwi and Amonajid are refugees they cannot re-enter Syria to be with Al Shawa there.
“My mum really perked up when she heard the news and started to eat more,” said Al Hamwi, 35. “All she wants to do before she dies is to see us and the kids.”
But the family were devastated when on 10 April the Home Office requested permission to appeal to a higher court against the judge’s ruling. These appeals are taking an average of eight months to be heard.
As part of the Home Office’s appeal it is citing a case quoted by judges in the case of a family from Gaza to whom they granted permission to come to the UK. The case caused a furore among politicians and sections of the media. The prime minister said he wanted to close a legal “loophole” relating to the case.
Al Hamwi said: “There isn’t much time. If we can get her here we will provide everything for her. When the Home Office asked for permission to appeal against the decision of the judge who said my mum could come here they didn’t think about how they are breaking my heart.
“My message to the Home Office is ‘please help my mum to see us before she dies’. We haven’t told my mum that Home Office has asked to appeal against the decision for her to come to the UK.”
The family’s solicitor, Usman Aslam of Mukhtar & Co Solicitors, said: “We could feel the family’s relief when they won the appeal, then their horror that the Home Office have sought permission to appeal. We immediately sought an expedition of their permission application.
“I have written to the Home Office directly expressing my outrage. Whilst I fully respect their right to seek permission to appeal, it is regrettable they have chosen this case of a dying woman. We are hoping that the Home Office will show compassion and allow her to spend what little time she has left with her family.”
A Home Office spokesperson said: “It would be inappropriate to comment while legal proceedings are ongoing.”
