BritCits

British man's 15-month visa battle to save wife, stranded in Damascus.

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/10/08/mark-wallace_n_4063868.html

'Suffering from agoraphobia, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, Wallace has been signed off work until 2014. Legislation brought in the month the pair left Syria insists that spousal visas are only given if the British spouse is earning £18,600.

'Wallace says he was advised by friends who used to work at the British consulate that his wife should apply for a familial visit visa, which would allow her to at least spend six months with her daughter.

'But that visa has been rejected twice, on grounds that Soulaf, an Alawite Muslim from the same sect as President Bashar Assad, would be "unlikely to return to Syria".

'"My daughter and I have been under gunfire and our house rattled by horrific explosions, as well as witnessing horror not seen here on mainstream media," Wallace said.

'"My daughter is nine, she knows what is happening, she knows where her mum is, but sometimes she doesn't even want to talk to her mum on Skype, she doesn't want to acknowledge where she is. It's so upsetting. Soulaf is desperate to see her daughter and there is nothing we can do.

'"I do want to get back to work, but it's a Catch 22, if my wife could come back, she could help with earning and childcare. And the horror of knowing anything could happen to my wife, any day, is not helping me get well."'

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