The Home Office is forcing me to leave the UK

Shady El Farra, a 28-year-old Egyptian national and British Airways cabin crew member, says he has been forced to give up his dream career after the Home Office ordered him to relocate to a country he insists he has never truly lived in.

El Farra, whose first language is English, moved to the UK in 2016 to study after spending most of his childhood between the United States and Saudi Arabia, where his parents work as academics. In 2021, he was granted a two-year graduate visa and began working for British Airways. However, his career was derailed when his application for a “private life” visa — which allows people with strong personal ties to remain in the UK — was rejected in November 2024.

Officials argued he could reintegrate into life in Egypt, despite his claim that he left the country shortly after birth, has no family there, and barely speaks the language. Egypt also enforces mandatory military service for men under 30. The refusal letter further confused matters by suggesting he could “fully support” himself in India, despite the fact his application had no connection to that country.

“It feels like a robot wrote it,” El Farra told The Independent. “I’ve studied and worked in the UK, yet I’m told I have no future here. They haven’t considered the real challenges I’d face in Egypt.”

Since applying for the private life visa in September 2023, El Farra had to surrender his passport, preventing him from flying internationally. British Airways reassigned him to domestic flights and later to a staff trainer role while he awaited a decision. After the refusal, he was forced to leave the job he loved and abandon plans to become a senior trainer.

Now relying on his parents for support and unable to claim public funds, El Farra fears he may soon be unable to afford his London rent. He has appealed the Home Office’s decision to an immigration tribunal and is allowed to seek work while the case is ongoing.

Under current rules, he would need a salary of at least £41,700 to qualify for a skilled worker visa — well above the pay for most cabin crew roles. His case comes as the Labour government tightens post-study work rules, cutting the graduate visa duration from two years to 18 months.

His father, Dr Ehab el Farra, called the decision “astonishing,” arguing that the UK should keep skilled and motivated people like his son. His mother, Molly, noted that he cannot live with them in Saudi Arabia due to local residency laws, leaving him caught in a “vicious cycle.”

The Home Office declined to comment on the specifics of the case. British Airways has also been approached for a statement.