London: An Indian woman, who lives in Scotland with her Scottish husband and two young daughters, is faced with the threat of being deported and separated from her family as she did not have the "correct type of visa."
Gloria Macleod, whose husband Robert grew up in Dingwall in the Scottish Highlands but is currently working in Dubai, was refused entry to the UK at Inverness airport on Monday after being told she did not have the correct visa.
She was placed on a temporary admission order, which expires tomorrow.
Local MP Ian Blackford is in talks with the UK Home Office about Macleod's situation, which could see her daughters left in the care of elderly grandparents if she is deported.
Macleod, an Indian passport holder, travelled from the UAE with her husband and their children Siobhan, 11, and Meaghan, 10, who are British citizens, to Scotland to set up a family home in Dingwall.
The children were enrolled in a local school in the area.
She holds a UK C-visit passport, issued by the British Consulate in Abu Dhabi in December 2009 and is valid for 10 years.
To allow her to stay with her children in Dingwall, Macleod and her husband made an application to stay in the UK while Robert Macleod continued to work in Dubai.
Blackford said the Macleods were advised by the Visa Office, acting on behalf of the UK Immigration Service, that this application had to be lodged in person in Dubai after which she would be able to return to the UK.
"Macleod followed exactly the instructions given to her by the immigration service and is now being penalised for this. Her visa is still current and has not been violated in any way. I have yet to fathom any reason why these actions have been taken," the MP said.
"What is beyond understanding is the attitude of the Home Office, who are removing a mother from her family, leaving two young girls in the care of elderly and infirm grandparents for no apparent reason. This must not be allowed to happen and I will do all I can to stop this madness immediately," he added.
A Home Office spokesperson said: "A visitor visa cannot be used to enter the UK for the purpose of permanent residence. It is the responsibility of those seeking to enter the country to ensure they hold the correct type of visa. Macleod was granted temporary admission to the UK and we are considering further representations in relation to her case.
