A father, mourning the loss of his wife and only child in the tragic Air India disaster, faces deportation from the UK shortly. Mohammad Sethwala, 27, tragically lost his wife Sadikabanu Tapeliwala, 24, and their two-year-old daughter Fatima in the Air India Flight 171 crash last June, where their aircraft crashed into a medical college hostel in Ahmedabad and erupted in flames shortly after takeoff, claiming the lives of 242 individuals.

Mohammad, still in mourning, recently discovered that his request to remain in the UK under “compassionate and compelling circumstances” has been denied. He had initially arrived in the UK in 2022 on a dependant visa tied to his wife’s status as a primary visa holder. However, after his wife’s passing, his permissions expired, leaving him in a precarious situation.

On the day of the tragic incident, Mohammad had been working an early shift to pick up his family from the airport when he received the devastating news from his father in India. The reality of losing his wife and daughter in the crash was a crushing blow to him. With his visa now expired, Mohammad faces imminent deportation back to India, a situation he believes will hinder his ability to heal and move forward.

Despite his efforts to appeal based on his unique circumstances, his plea to stay in the UK was turned down. Mohammad is currently under “immigration bail” and has until April 22 to make arrangements before he is compelled to return to India. Expressing his distress, he emphasized the significant investments made in his visa and his life in the UK, highlighting that being forced to leave would only deepen his grief and impede his healing process.

Mohammad expressed his sentiment, stating, “If my wife were alive, I would be allowed to remain. The UK has been a place where I could begin to rebuild my life amidst the tragedy. Returning to India will not provide the same opportunity for healing and moving forward as it does here.”