When will I be able to see my mum?

Sharon is worried her mum might be feeling lonely

You might be fed up that your family can't get together on Mother's Day, but spare a thought for Sharon Carter.

She hasn't seen her mother since October 2019.

Her mother is in Jamaica, one of many countries that closed its borders to the UK to stop the spread of the UK variant of coronavirus. Direct flights are still currently banned.

"It's worrying because she's on her own," says Sharon.

"She puts a brave face on it, but she's isolating at home. It's a lonely existence, only going shopping, for a year."

"At least when we go out there you can see how well she's doing or not. You miss the physical contact and time spent together."

This Mother's Day many of us won't be able to give our mum the usual lunch out or cuddle with her grandchildren. But at least if you live nearby there's the hope that the vaccine roll out will allow meetings in the park or garden soon. But for those with family abroad, the wait is likely to be much longer.

International travel from the UK is still illegal in most circumstances. The UK government has said international travel will be possible from England from 17th May at the earliest. But Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are yet to set a date.

But then it is up to the government of the country you're travelling to, whether you'll be let in.

Jamaica's tourism minister, Edmund Bartlett, is hopeful that that things will open up again soon.

"Firstly make sure you get your vaccine,' said Mr Bartlett.

"We are doing the same over here. We are going to be in a position, with all the faith I have, to be able to invite all the family and friends and guests to Jamaica, certainly by the summer.

"We want you to come, but we want you to observe protocols."

'I'm stuck here'

Khurram is feeling the distance between him and his parents

Khurram Masood may be 42, married, with children of his own and living thousands of miles away from his mum, but in her eyes, he's still her baby.

"I was first born of the family, so I was very pampered," he says.

"She still tells me off and asks me: why didn't you finish your dinner? All the mum stuff!"

Khurram lives in Portsmouth, his parents live in Lahore. He was meant to visit last year, but Covid got in the way.

This Mother's Day he's feeling the distance between them more than ever.

"My kids are growing up, they need to see their grandparents. I have got nieces and nephews who haven't seen me for ages.

"It's a vital part of a child's life. Everyone is sending cards, flowers, chocolates and cakes for their mother and I'm just stuck here for the moment. It's hard for me to do anything special for her."

After the prime minister's announcement, spelling out England's roadmap for easing lockdown, Pakistan was the second most searched for destination (after Spain) according to Skyscanner.

Currently, inbound travellers from the UK, or those who have been in the UK in the last 10 days, are not able to enter Pakistan, although there are exemptions, including those with a Pakistani passport.

Although there are no guarantees, the Pakistani government hopes they will be able to open up to UK visitors in the summer.

"We want to be very optimistic, but at the same time bordering on caution," says Sayed Zulfi Bukhari, special assistant to the prime minister for overseas Pakistanis.

"Towards the beginning of May we will look at it. If we are just talking about tourism and the tourists that want come from Britain, we would look at if they've been vaccinated and there's a bubble for them, or they could have a test prior to coming."

'More than a couple of days away'

It's difficult for Hannah not knowing when she might see her mum again

Hannah Robinson has lived in the UK for nine years, but this is the longest she's gone without seeing her mother in Adelaide.

"It has been a bit harder over the pandemic, knowing it's not just a couple of days to get home if I needed to," she says.

Like many with family in Australia, she's not expecting to be able to travel there for some time.

"It's difficult, not having a date when we can really look forward to seeing each other again with everything being up in the air at the moment. No one really knows when things will be lifted for definite."

Australia hasn't set a date for opening international travel. All arrivals have had to stay in quarantine hotels since March 2020. Speaking to UK MPs earlier this week, the deputy commissioner of police for New South Wales, Gary Worboys, said that he thinks quarantine hotels will be in place for the rest of the year.

'My son plays flying to visit grandma'

Dorota's mother usually sees her grandson four times a year

Last summer, Dorota Sakwerda was able to visit her parents in Poland, thanks to the travel corridors that were introduced. But it was still very different to seeing them four times a year.

"It's difficult. My son, who is almost three, now plays with his toys, putting them on a plane to fly to grandma and grandpa.

"We've missed birthdays and Christmas together," she says.

"Like everyone, it's been a tough year and it's when you really realise how much you rely on your parents and dealing with all the pressures that come with lockdown."

Dorota is frustrated that much of the conversation about international travel has revolved around holidays.

"I'd be the first person to try to get to the beach if I can and it's safe to do so" says Dorota.

"But at the same time I think there's a distinction between travelling purely for leisure and for travelling abroad to visit family, especially elderly relatives."

At the moment, it's the UK's restrictions on international travel that are stopping her visiting, as Poland is currently open to UK citizens, but the government has said that it's not able to predict what the situation will be once UK residents are able to travel again possibly in May.