An 87-year-old Syrian man, Jabra Yazbek, has been granted permission to move to the United Kingdom to live with his son after an immigration judge ruled that he was “desperately lonely” and unable to meet his care needs in Syria.
Yazbek, a Christian widower from Latakia, had applied to join his son, a British citizen, who moved to the UK in 2010 for his studies. His application was initially rejected by the Home Office in March 2024, but the Upper Tribunal Immigration and Asylum Chamber later overturned the decision on human rights grounds, citing exceptional circumstances.
The tribunal heard that Yazbek’s wife died of cancer in 2019 and that he has lived alone since, with no remaining family in Syria. His daughter had moved abroad years earlier, leaving him without close relatives nearby. Though his son calls him regularly, poor communication due to weak signals and frequent power outages has made contact unreliable.
According to evidence presented, Yazbek struggles with basic daily tasks such as cooking, cleaning, and taking his medication. The court heard that he often eats mouldy food and forgets to take essential medicines for blood pressure and blood thinning, putting his health at serious risk.
Judge Fiona Lindsley ruled that Yazbek’s condition, combined with his isolation and anxiety, justified allowing him to live in the UK. She stated that he “cannot have his essential care needs adequately met in Syria,” and that refusing him entry would lead to “a risk of early death” due to neglect and loneliness.
The judge also noted that institutional care for the elderly is not common in Syria, leaving Yazbek particularly vulnerable. His son, unable to visit because of war and safety risks, has been trying to arrange support for him from afar without success.
While the Home Office argued that some affordable care was available in Syria and that immigration rules were not met, the tribunal found that denying Yazbek entry would be a “disproportionate interference” with his son’s right to family life under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
In her final judgment, Judge Lindsley said Yazbek’s loneliness and declining health “would have a profoundly saddening effect” on his son and family in the UK, emphasizing that family reunification was both compassionate and reasonable in this case.
With this ruling, Yazbek will now be able to live in Britain, where he can receive proper care and emotional support from his family.