A terminally ill Syrian grandmother has been granted permission to travel to the UK and spend her final days with the grandchildren she has never met, following a dramatic U-turn by the Home Office.
Soaad Al Shawa, who has advanced liver cancer and has been given just weeks to live, had previously been denied entry to Britain despite a heartfelt plea from her family.
The 66-year-old has been living apart from her daughter Ola Al Hamwi, son-in-law Mostafa Amonajid, and their three young children—aged seven, five, and one—since they fled Syria in 2015.
Appeal Victory Followed by Devastating Delay
The family, now settled in Glasgow after escaping war-torn Damascus, had applied for a refugee family reunion visa after Al Shawa’s terminal diagnosis late last year.
Although a tribunal judge ruled in their favour in April, the Home Office’s decision to appeal the judgment threatened to delay the visa for as long as eight months—far longer than doctors expect Al Shawa to survive.
Al Hamwi described the potential appeal as “heartbreaking,” saying her mother’s only wish was to meet her grandchildren before she dies. The grandmother has only ever seen them through video calls.
Home Office Drops Appeal and Fast-Tracks Visa
This week, the Home Office informed the family’s solicitor that it will not pursue its appeal and has agreed to expedite the visa process.
The family hopes the visa will be finalised in Jordan over the weekend, allowing Amonajid to collect Al Shawa and bring her to the UK.
“My mum really perked up when she heard the news and started eating again,” said Al Hamwi. “All she wants before she dies is to be with us and meet the kids.”
Amonajid expressed gratitude for the Home Office’s reversal: “I appreciate them listening to Ola and me. The kids are thrilled—they’re arguing about who gets to sleep next to her.”
Lawyer Praises Compassionate Decision
The family’s solicitor, Usman Aslam of Mukhtar & Co, welcomed the decision: “We’re relieved the Home Office has withdrawn from this case and is now expediting the visa. This is about basic humanity—refugees have families, lives, and dignity too.”
As refugees are legally barred from returning to Syria, Al Hamwi and Amonajid had no way of travelling to see Al Shawa in her final days. The imminent reunion marks the end of a painful chapter and the beginning of a final, long-awaited embrace.
