My father is dying. I just want to be reunited with him before it is too late.

I had to leave Syria at just 16 years of age because of the war and it took two years and making various dangerous journeys to get to safe Scotland in 2013. I lost my mother and my father had to hide from place to place for years.

While being a refugee I applied to be reunited with my father and stepmother, but at this point they were under siege in AlFu’ah – Idleb. I did not even know if they were still alive as we lost connection for a long time. My previous solicitor told me that we couldn’t move forward because I could not provide the required evidence.

While working on my college dissertation in 2020, I read a case about family reunion whereby the Judge had criticised the Home Office Family Reunion Rules, making it possible to apply for other family members. I was aware that it was a risk, and the application would most likely be rejected, but at least we could bring it before a Judge. More importantly, the Home Office Family Reunion Policy says in black and white that if you do not meet the Immigration Rules, they can still grant the application outside of the rules if compassionate factors can be shown. My father is dying, I thought that itself would be enough.

Since we submitted the claim in November 2021, my father has suffered 3 strokes which affected his nervous system and rendered him unable to walk or talk properly. He suffers from kidney failure and heart problems. However, when we provided medical reports to show that, the Home Office used it against us to say that since we are able to provide such reports it means that there are medical facilities in the country where he is now and that he is receiving the health care he needs.

We were expecting a refusal by March 2021, but after many attempts by my MP and an article in The National about our struggle, they refused father’s application in July 2022 but not my stepmother’s yet. They have used several excuses, even that we used the wrong form but that has turned out to be nonsense. They have granted numerous applications with cases less strong than mine with my current Solicitor over the past five years.

I have not seen my father in over 10 years, he survived the war in Syria but he is very unwell. The doctors said has got a limited time to live, and I fear the worst.

I have been told it is not in the public interest to allow my father to come here. I am fluent in English, I have fully integrated and I am doing a law degree at the University of Stirling. I won the CDN Student of the Year Award in 2021, I do not receive benefits and I have contributed to Scotland in so many ways. How could it be in the public interest to refuse my father?

Please help me reunite with him before the inevitable happens.