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Visa mum may be forced to live 4000miles from son
 
Sara with husband Gordon and son William, 6, at home in Govan Picture: Chris Clark
Sara with husband Gordon and son William, 6, at home in Govan Picture: Chris Clark
 

by Wendy Miller

THE mum of a six-year-old Glasgow boy faces being taken away from the son she adores - and thrown out of the country.

Sara Marr has been told she must return to Ethiopia where she used to live, 4000 miles from husband Gordon and son William, a pupil at Craigton Primary in Govan.

Despite being married to a British citizen for six years, the Home Office have refused Sara the spouse's visa which would allow her to stay here.

Today a distraught Sara, 36, told how she couldn't bear to be separated from her family.

Speaking from her home in Moidart Place, she said: "I just want to stay in Glasgow with my husband and my son.

"William has never been away from me. I don't know how he would cope without me.

"He suffers from eczema. He might also need to get his tonsils out. He really needs his mum."

Sara met Gordon in 1999 when working in Saudi Arabia. They married in Park Circus in Gordon's home town in March 2001.

After years spent travelling between Scotland and Saudi due to Gordon's job as a construction boss the couple settled in Craigton earlier this year.

But while Gordon, 65, and William are UK citizens, Sara still has an Ethiopian passport and a visa permitting her to spend just six months of every 12 in the UK.

She applied for a spouse's visa in May but it was rejected by the Home Office.

Now the couple are living in fear of the knock on the door that could see Sara taken away.

She has been ordered to leave Britain until May 2008 because she has already spent six months here this year.

Gordon has lobbied politicians including Ian Davidson MSP for help. The dad said: "I've written to the Home Office and accused them of breaching our human rights. They have not considered my son when making a decision."

A Home Office spokeswoman said she could not comment on individual cases. A statement said: "Applicants who do not meet the requirements for leave to remain as a spouse will be expected to return home."

Publication date 03/12/07

Posted by: glamkitty, Glasgow on 11:31am Mon 3 Dec 07
I know they are just trying to stick to the law here, but considering how many other people stay and arent even being honest about it, I think they could maybe use a bit of common sense in this case.
Why was she refused, though?
Posted by: workinhard, Glasgow on 2:25pm Mon 3 Dec 07
glamkitty wrote:
I know they are just trying to stick to the law here, but considering how many other people stay and arent even being honest about it, I think they could maybe use a bit of common sense in this case. Why was she refused, though?
common sense and politics don't go together unfortunately....and the effect is that people living in the real world have their lives affected by the 'head in the clouds' politicians and leaders who make the 'rules'!

i'm sure to balance it all out they'll release a couple of rapists and murderers back into society this week...
Posted by: raypaterson, Glasgow on 2:33pm Mon 3 Dec 07
This woman should do what many failed asylum seekers do, refuse to leave.

If she was a foreign criminal the Human Rights lobby would be out in force.
Posted by: tam-m, southside on 5:16pm Mon 3 Dec 07
you can be here illegally and commit crimes and still refuse to leave the country and all the do-gooders will help you to get extra income.the problem here is the couple work and pay taxes the benefits you get in return --ZERO--
Posted by: Maryhill Bill, Wyndford on 5:20pm Mon 3 Dec 07
Doesn't say why she was refused a spouse's visa so it's difficult to comment but in view of the other criminals who are allowed to remain the decision must be wrong.
Posted by: anni, London on 6:13pm Mon 3 Dec 07
It is a shame, like I said before, criminals such as peado's, murderers, rapists, robbers whether or not they are immigrants or citizens seem to get all the support. But a married woman who works and has a child gets the sort of treatment all those mentioned should recieve. I think this country is back to front, where is the justice in this? I hope she simply refuses to leave, do what most of the above do get a social worker and legal aid to fight her case and stop working for a while and claim back some of that well earned tax she has contributed to our society.
Posted by: odinslad, glasgow on 6:51pm Mon 3 Dec 07
its good to see our imagration controls are doing their job right send all these illigals back home to where they belong .
Posted by: brianscottie43, Toronto, Canada on 8:15pm Mon 3 Dec 07
Maryhill Bill wrote:
Doesn't say why she was refused a spouse's visa so it's difficult to comment but in view of the other criminals who are allowed to remain the decision must be wrong.
Yes, refusal of the spouse's visa needs further investigative journalism. With, Goodness only knows, the number of Brits working and living overseas it boggles the mind to think the UK Government is suggesting no-one should contemplate forming relationships and bringing spouse's/significant others back to live there.
Posted by: BLOCKEM, Glasgow on 1:14am Tue 4 Dec 07
Another threatened deportation and Wendy Miller gives us another tearjerker. Deportation becomes ‘‘thrown out of the country’’. Official notification becomes ‘‘living in fear of a knock at the door that could see Sara being taken away’’. And the usual medical report, ‘‘he suffers from eczema’’ and ‘‘might also need his tonsils out’’.

Not enough Wendy. The government have realized they’ve messed up big time. Too many people have entered Britain and there are hundreds of thousands more on their way. Our Home Office have started to enforce our emigration laws (about time) and remove those who have no right to be here - failed asylum seekers and illegal immigrants. Sara Marr ‘‘does not meet the requirements’’, she should leave.

Both she and her husband knew the rules (or should have) when they decided to come to Britain. The family do not have to split - all three can go to Ethiopia where Sara used to live. The real problem here is that they don’t want to uproot themselves.

Hope the Home Office don’t back down on this case. The politicians, including Ian Davidson, MSP, whom Mr. Marr has asked for help should not intervene - they must be seen to uphold the laws of this country.

Mr. Marr, your human rights have not been breached. Take your family, leave Britain, go to Ethiopia.
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