Home Office Faces Outrage After Rejecting Grieving Father's UK Stay Request
The Home Office has sparked widespread condemnation after ordering a father who lost his entire family in last year's Air India crash to leave the United Kingdom. Mohammad Shethwala, whose wife Sadikabanu and two-year-old daughter Fatima perished in the June 2025 disaster, has been told his application to remain in the UK on humanitarian grounds has been rejected.
Family Tragedy and Immigration Dependency
Mohammad Shethwala arrived in the UK from India in March 2022 as a dependent on his wife's student visa. Sadikabanu was studying at Ulster University in Northern Ireland before the couple moved to London, where their daughter Fatima was born. After completing her studies, Sadikabanu switched to a Graduate visa in January 2024 and had recently started a new job in Rugby.
The family's future in Britain was tragically cut short when Sadikabanu and Fatima boarded Air India Flight 112 from Ahmedabad to London on June 12, 2025. The Boeing 787-8 crashed seconds after takeoff, killing all 260 people on board including 169 Indian nationals, 53 British citizens, one Canadian, and seven Portuguese passengers. The disaster also claimed 19 lives on the ground when the aircraft struck a medical college hostel building.
Humanitarian Application Rejected
Following the tragedy, Mohammad applied for Further Leave to Remain in December 2025, arguing that he had "nothing left" beyond his support network of friends in London. His legal team presented evidence of his deteriorating mental health and dependence on this support system for emotional stability.
"He lost everything. Everything has been ruined," said Musab Taherwala, a friend speaking on Mohammad's behalf. "He's not able to talk about it properly. His mind is not working properly."
The Home Office rejected the application on April 9, 2026, stating that Mohammad's situation did not constitute exceptional circumstances. Officials argued that adequate mental health care was available in India and that he could receive support from relatives there.
Immigration Bail and Legal Challenges
Simultaneously with the rejection, the Home Office placed Mohammad on immigration bail, which prohibits him from working and potentially applying for a Skilled Worker visa. This decision has effectively uprooted what remained of his life in the UK.
Mohammad's lawyers plan to challenge the decision in court, which will allow him to remain in the UK during the legal process. Campaigners have expressed outrage at what they describe as a "cruel" and "callous" decision by immigration authorities.
Campaigners Condemn Home Office Decision
Fizza Qureshi, CEO of the Migrants' Rights Network, stated: "We are horrified at the callousness of the Home Office separating a grieving father and husband from his support network who are caring for him and his mental wellbeing at this tragic time. The Home Office refuses to show compassion even during grief."
Campaigner Professor Patrick Vernon OBE compared the treatment to victims of the Windrush scandal, calling it "the same cruelty" and describing the case as "not just bureaucratic failure, but a moral failure."
Gracie Mae Bradley, a writer and civil liberties expert, added: "The Home Office surely has better things to do than deprive a grieving father of his home and support network less than a year after a life-changing tragedy."
Legal Representation and Future Prospects
Ayush S Rajpal, Case Manager at Chionuma Law, which represents more than 110 families affected by the Air India crash, emphasized: "We believe this is a genuine humanitarian case and request fair and kind consideration. Our client has lived in the UK for four years and built his life there with his wife. After losing his wife, he is facing financial and emotional difficulties and is under psychiatric care."
A Home Office spokesperson responded: "All visa applications are assessed on individual merit in line with immigration rules." The department does not routinely comment on individual cases.
The Air India crash remains one of the deadliest aviation disasters of the 21st century, and Mohammad Shethwala's case highlights the complex intersection of personal tragedy and immigration policy in its aftermath.
