Red tape battle

South African stroke specialist Dr Akif Gani (36) has worked for 11 years treating the elderly at Newcastle upon Tyne General Hospital. Earlier this year, he was granted residence in the UK but told that his wife, young daughter and infant son could not stay. His wife Somayya (29), daughter Aalia (3) and their 11-month-old son Shakeel were informed by the Home Office that they had 8 days to appeal or leave the country. Patients and other supporters of the family, who live in Cochrane Park, Newcastle, got together to help fight the decision. This led to a Home Office case review and the family was allowed to stay. The couple married in 1999 and both children were born in Britain, although neither Aalia nor Shakeel qualified as British because their parents were not settled in Britain.