Highlands nurse denied return to UK from Turkey after holiday
- Published
Ali Abunejmeh and his eight-year-old son Sebastien were on holiday visiting family in Jordan
A Highlands nurse and his son have been trapped in Turkey for four weeks after an airline declined to accept his evidence of UK residency.
Ali Abunejmeh, originally from Jordan, has lived in the UK for 15 years and has settled status.
His residence card had expired, but the dad-of-three said the Home Office told him he could show alternative proof.
He said he had spent £2,000 on food and accommodation and had missed shifts at Raigmore Hospital, Inverness.
He and his eight-year-old son Sebastien were on holiday visiting family in Jordan and the West Bank.
On 5 August the pair, who live in Nairn, were due to fly back to the UK via Antalya Airport in Turkey.
Without an in-date residence card, Mr Abunejmeh used the Home Office's online 'View and Prove' service, external to show his settled status at the airport.
But Turkish Airlines declined to accept this and would not allow them on the flight.
The airline told BBC Scotland it was investigating the incident.
The Home Office said non-European nationals must show airlines a valid UK residence card to prove their settled status.
Its guidance also states that airlines "may accept" proof via View and Prove, if someone does not have a card.
Mr Abunejmeh said: "I hold a permanent residence in the UK and settlement status. The card that I have is expired.
"I was advised by the Home Office before travelling that I can show the carrier airline when travelling the status of my residency.
"The advice was that I would be able to prove my settlement status via the app I have.
"I tried to explain this to Turkish Airlines but they refused to let me board."
Mr Abunejmeh's settled status means he has the right to live, work and remain indefinitely in the UK free of immigration control.
His wife is a Czech national and their three children all have British passports. However, his wife and two of the children were waiting for renewed passports and so did not travel with him.
'Really stressed'
Mr Abunejmeh told BBC Scotland he had received little assistance from the Home Office or the airline after being turned away.
He said: "Me and my son were really stressed. We were told to call the British Embassy to find out what to do next.
"My son got really upset because he could not understand why he was not allowed on the flight."
Mr Abunejmeh has since applied for access to the UK as a close family member of a European national with UK immigration status.
The process can take up to seven weeks.
He is also waiting on a renewed biometric residence card.
He said: "I have spent almost £2,000 on accommodation and food so far, not mentioning that my son Sebastien should now be back in school.
"As a nurse with a contract, I have been booked for shifts and I have no way of knowing when I am going to be back.
"My son has a British passport but at the moment, my wife cannot fly out to Turkey to bring him back home.
"With me not working and my wife as a teacher on supply contract only, neither of us has got a regular income and it is causing us considerable financial difficulties."
A Home Office spokesperson said: "Any non-EEA nationals granted settled status must carry their biometric residence card when travelling abroad and this should be in date. We will be in touch with Mr Abunejmeh."