Syrian refugee living in Wales reunited with infant son after months apart

A Syrian refugee living in Wales has been reunited with his infant son after spending several months thousands of miles apart, with the Red Cross warning that bureaucracy is making this a familiar occurrence for many families trying to escape conflict.

Mousa al-Sharki has been able to celebrate the first birthday of his son Omar by holding him for the first time in four months, after his family were separated by war and bureaucracy.

Mousa al-Sharki had fled the bombed-out Syrian city of Aleppo with his pregnant wife Rajaa and their four children, eventually travelling to the UK to find a new home for his family while they waited in Lebanon – where Rajaa gave birth to baby Omar.

Earlier this year he was able to secure a family reunion visa to bring his wife and children to Cardiff. But an error on Omar’s passport, listing his place of birth as the Syrian capital, Damascus, stopped the newborn from boarding a plane.

The family were forced to leave Omar with Rajaa’s sister-in-law until the International Red Cross, after a request by the British Red Cross, intervened to get Omar an exit visa to come to the UK.

“He was only eight months old when I left him – he wasn’t even on solid food yet,” said Mr Sharki. “The authorities in Lebanon told me if I didn’t leave the country then I would never be allowed to come to the UK. They said this was my only chance. I felt threatened. My other daughter has Down’s syndrome and needs a lot of care. I didn’t want to leave her either, or my other children. I had to make a snap decision. Either way it was a huge sacrifice. I feel so guilty for leaving him, but I had no choice.”

He added: “I was so excited to see him again. I was going hot and cold with nerves. I was so worried that he’d have forgotten my face but he smiled when he saw me. Words can’t describe how happy I am to have him back with me in time for his first birthday.”

Rajaa’s mother, three brothers and two sisters are still in besieged Aleppo, where they have lived for seven months without electricity.

The Red Cross is calling on the British government to expand the family reunion criteria for refugees to cover all children and dependants, including elderly parents, unmarried siblings and family who lived with the claimant before they fled.

Karl Pike, refugee policy manager at the British Red Cross, said: “It is fantastic news that Omar has been reunited with his parents, but we are aware that there are many more people in need of our help. As a parent, being separated from your baby is an unbearable thought, yet it has been a nightmare reality for this family.

“The Red Cross is calling for the family reunion application process to be made simpler and safer – so that more children like Omar can be reunited with their families.”

He said administrative blocks, such as short entry clearance visas and a lack of legal support for people trying to bring family members to the UK should be addressed, and decried the Home Office’s “business as usual” approach.