A British family stranded in the Middle East after being wrongly refused entry to an evacuation flight from Oman say they have received an apology from the Foreign Office, but no actual help to get home.
Nusaybah Sattar, 26, from London, was in Dubai with her family to celebrate her brother-in-law’s 40th birthday when the city was hit by Iranian drones and missiles last Saturday. The family fled to Oman, an eight-hour drive away, and registered with the UK government for a charter flight to London organised by the Foreign Office.
The family of six paid more than £1,700 for tickets, but when they tried to board on Wednesday, Foreign Office ground workers said most had not been approved. Only Sattar’s 19-month-old toddler and her 84-year-old grandmother-in-law, who uses a wheelchair, were cleared. “Those two are the most vulnerable of our group and they need carers,” Sattar said.
Despite holding UK passports, the family was told by the Home Office they lacked correct visas. Sattar believes her surname change after marriage caused confusion. “If we had English names, I don’t think there would have been an issue,” she said. The flight eventually departed without them.
The Foreign Office later told Sattar’s mother the family had been cleared but, according to records, had not arrived at the airport. Sattar described the situation as “completely disorganised”. She has spent nearly £4,000 on tickets, hotels and transport, and her disabled grandmother has run out of essential medication. The Foreign Office has apologised but offered no further help.
