Saleh Ahmed Handule Ali came as a refugee from Somalia to the UK in 2000 with his family. He was then nine years old.
Eight years later, he contracted tuberculosis and traveled to the African country of Djibouti in the hope that a holiday in a warmer climate would help him recover.
It turned out to be a fateful decision.
Lost his papers
During the trip, he lost his documents that strengthened his residence permit in the UK. As there is no British embassy in Djibouti, he crossed the border into Ethiopia. He has been stuck there ever since, writes The Guardian.
On at least two occasions he is said to have tried to get help at the embassy in the capital Addis Ababa without success.
According to The Guardian, the British Home Office had for some reason not registered Saleh’s residence permit in its computer system – leaving him both stranded and paperless in Ethiopia.
– I have cried for 16 years over the loss of my son, says his mother Shamis Dirya, to The Guardian.
Rejection in court
She says that they tried to get the Ministry of the Interior to bring him home but that they “don’t listen”. During the few times they manage to call each other, it becomes tearful – for both mother and son, says mother Shamis.
– Sometimes we don’t even know if he’s alive, she says.
In 2015, Saleh made an attempt to return home to the UK, but was stopped by an immigration officer. The family then appealed to the Migration Court – where the appeal was rejected.
“Not over”
But in the corresponding court of appeal, they were critical of previous rejections during the previous trials and believe that a legal error has been committed.
– How this could have happened is difficult to understand, says one of the judges, according to The Guardian.
Saleh has now appealed the previous rejection.
– Unfortunately, his trial is not over, as the case is sent back to a higher instance for a new decision, which could take months. To avoid costs and delays, we hope the Home Office will grant him entry with a sincere apology, his lawyer told the Guardian.