**Heartbroken Mother Pleads for Husband’s Return as UK Visa Bar Keeps Family Apart**
A mother from Bedworth has found herself entangled in the complexities of Britain’s visa system, as her husband remains unable to join his family in the UK and support their young son’s crucial medical journey. The case has cast fresh light on the impact of tightening immigration rules, which many argue now separate families at the very point when support is most needed.
Nicola Flowers, 31, met her husband Sabbir Ahmed while living in Cyprus in 2022, following a chance encounter at a nightclub which blossomed into a whirlwind romance. Their relationship, once uninterrupted, now faces considerable strain due to repeated visa rejections preventing Sabbir from travelling to Britain. Nicola’s primary concern is their two-year-old son, Zayan, who suffers from rare medical conditions affecting his eyesight and facial muscles.
Zayan was born with Marcus Gunn jaw-winking syndrome and third nerve palsy, which manifest as a ‘lazy eye’, drooping eyelid, and impaired vision. Due to the specialised nature of the required treatment—which is not available in Cyprus—Nicola made the difficult decision last year to return to the UK with Zayan, hoping her husband could soon join them. However, as their application for a tourist visa was swiftly refused, Nicola has been forced to shoulder the emotional and logistical burdens alone.
UK authorities cited a lack of “compelling reasons” for Sabbir to return to Cyprus following any visit, despite evidence that he is a long-term resident, works as a restaurant manager, owns a home, and holds a Cypriot ID card. Sabbir originally moved from Bangladesh to Cyprus more than a decade ago and has established diverse personal and financial ties to the island. To date, two applications for even a short-term visit to reunite their family have been turned down.
“I’ve put Zayan’s health first,” Nicola explained. “We had no choice but to seek better treatment in the UK. We thought Sabbir would be allowed to visit, but now he’s been denied twice. I just want our family together while our son goes through this.”
The rejections have left Nicola and Zayan moving between Cyprus and the UK in order to spend precious time with Sabbir. She has described the mounting cost of flights, often running to more than £600 per journey, and the difficulties balancing her work as a marketing executive with caring for Zayan and managing her husband’s visa process. With Zayan now over two years old, she expects travel costs to rise still further.
“I’m lucky my employer is understanding and has let me work remotely when needed,” Nicola said. “But this isn’t a way to live, for any of us. Zayan cries for his dad and can’t understand why he can’t just be with him.”
Having exhausted previous options, Nicola is now attempting a spousal visa application, a process which comes with its own barriers. Since the Home Office increased the minimum salary threshold for sponsoring a partner from £18,600 to £29,000 per year, families like Nicola’s who do not meet these financial requirements are effectively separated indefinitely. Legal fees and the cost of applications have already set the family back thousands of pounds, and Nicola has sought legal advice to ensure they stand the best possible chance of succeeding.
“Our lawyer says we’re a strong case—but every day is uncertainty. We both work, we look after our son, we contribute to society,” Nicola shared. “I’ve had to move in with my parents while we wait. It’s exhausting, stressful, and I just feel stuck.”
Their ordeal has motivated Nicola to launch a public fundraiser, seeking the financial support necessary to continue their legal challenge and help Sabbir finally reunite with his family. After months of battling red tape and uncertainty, she says her only wish is for Zayan to have the support of both his parents during ongoing medical treatment, and for a return to a settled family life—whether in the UK or Cyprus.
The case is emblematic of a growing debate over the fairness and social consequences of stringent immigration policy in the UK, particularly for families facing illness or other exceptional circumstances. As Nicola continues her fight, campaigners and legal experts urge the government to consider the humanitarian costs of its evolving visa regime.
Meanwhile, the Flowers family remains caught in limbo—paying a high price for immigration rules that critics call “harsh” and, for some, insurmountable.