Family forced to live apart after Home Office refused Tunisian husband visa to visit his ill wife in Hordle

A family is being forced to live apart after the Home Office refused to give the husband a visa to visit his wife and child in Hordle.

Layla Kacem has been with husband Walid (44) for over 14 years and has lived with him in Sousse, Tunisia, where he is from during that time.

But in March last year she decided to travel back to the UK to stay with her parents after becoming unwell. She brought their seven-year-old daughter Heba with her.

Layla (46) said: “When we have come back to see my parents before, my husband has always been granted a tourist visa which he has never overstayed.

“But this time when he applied for one just for a week, it was refused. The Home Office will not reconsider their decision so at the moment we are stuck living apart.

“Walid has his own business in Tunisia as a child entertainer and has no intention of settling in the UK permanently. I don’t either and intend to go back to Tunisia when I am well enough.

“It is not fair that he is not allowed to visit us, it’s awful for my daughter. When she sees him on Facetime, she gets all excited and desperately misses her dad.”

In his visa application Walid said he wanted to visit the UK for a week from 5th of April until the 12th. He wrote: “The purpose of my trip will be for visiting my in-laws over the Easter period.

“I’m currently self-employed, I have a successful kids entertainment business which I will be returning to after my trip. I have attached contracts to show my return to work in Tunisia, a copy of my business registration is also attached.”

Walid said his in-laws would be “fully financing” his trip and that in the past 10 years he had travelled to the UK several times and “respected the visa requirements and never overstayed”.

But despite his intentions and the fact he has never had an issue with a visa application before Walid was “devastated” to be refused one.

Layla said: “We couldn’t believe it. Before I moved to Tunisia, I was a British taxpayer and, as far as I am concerned, this refusal is a violation of my human rights.

“They turned him down on the grounds that he did not supply bank statements, but he does not have to. They also said he did not ‘show assets’ in his country but he provided proof of his business and a rental agreement for where we live.

““We have both asked the Home Office to re-consider the application, but they have refused.”

Layla wrote to local MP Sir Desmond Swayne asking for his help and he wrote to the Home Office on her behalf. But they are still refusing to budge.

Layla said: “I visited Walid in Tunisia in October, but I have not been well enough to travel since. Heba is missing her dad so much, it just is not fair on her.”

The A&T have approached the Home Office for a comment.