A TERMINALLY-ILL Syrian refugee living in Scotland, who has been given just weeks to live, has spoken of her joy after her brother was given permission to visit her for what will likely be the last time.
The National revealed last month that Zahreya Albani had not seen her brother Salah – who lives in a refugee camp in Jordan – for nine years after they became separated during the civil war in Syria. She lives in Greenock with her husband Sahl Mohamad, their two teenage boys and nine-year-old daughter.
READ MORE: Dying refugee pleads with Home Office to allow her to see brother one final time
They arrived here in 2015, but two years later she was diagnosed with brain cancer. Her husband said she had undergone various medical procedures and treatments, but nothing had worked.
“Every time we have contact with her brother, all of us, we get so emotional, very emotional because of the disease and because at the moment, she is living just on painkillers,” he said.
“She has had three operations on her brain, and three operations which didn’t work. She has also had a lot of radiotherapy and chemotherapy, but what they have said is the treatment is not working.”
The family feared that Salah would not qualify for a family reunion visa, but yesterday they found out the Home Office had approved his visit.
Speaking through an interpreter, Zahreya told The National: “It is great news and a dream come true that I will see my brother before I leave this world.
“I wish to thank my solicitor Usman Aslam for fighting hard to make this happen, the interpreter, the Home Office for approving it, but also to Greg at The National for publishing the case. God bless all of you.”
Aslam, from the Glasgow practice Rea Law, added: “We are pleased at a positive outcome for our client, in these very sad and difficult circumstances. The Home Office decision is welcomed and we are glad that a grant of leave has been given here.”
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