“He lost everything. Everything has been ruined."
An Indian man who lost his wife and daughter in the 2025 Air India crash is facing deportation from the UK.
Mohammad Shethwala’s wife, Sadikabanu, and their two-year-old daughter, Fatima, died when the Ahmedabad to London flight went down seconds after take-off in June 2025.
Shethwala had been living in the UK as a dependent on his wife’s visa. He applied to extend his stay on humanitarian grounds, but the Home Office rejected the request and placed him on immigration bail.
The decision means he cannot work and is unable to apply for a Skilled Worker visa.
Officials said his case did not meet the threshold for exceptional circumstances. They argued he could access mental health support and family assistance in India.
Shethwala said he has “nothing left” outside his support network in London. Campaigners have accused the Home Office of failing to show compassion, with one saying it should be ashamed for “depriving a grieving father of his home”.
His legal team plans to challenge the decision. He will be allowed to remain in the UK while that process is ongoing.
Shethwala told Metro: “I am not accepting this decision from the government. I’m not feeling well right now because of this. I’m not accepting this decision.”
He arrived in the UK from India in March 2022 as a dependent on his wife’s student visa. Their daughter was born in the UK.
Sadikabanu had recently started a new job in Rugby and was preparing to apply for a Skilled Worker visa, which would have allowed the family to remain in the UK beyond 2026.
However, both she and her daughter were killed in the crash on June 12.
The disaster claimed 260 lives, including 241 passengers and crew members. A further 19 people on the ground died after the Air India aircraft struck a medical college hostel and burst into flames.
Shethwala, who had been working as a delivery driver, lost both his immediate family and his route to staying in the UK.
His friend, Musab Taherwala, described the impact of the tragedy on his life:
“He lost everything. Everything has been ruined. He’s not able to talk about it properly. His mind is not working properly.
“His wife was supposed to be the main applicant for a skilled worker visa. If his wife had survived, he would still be allowed in the UK. If his daughter had survived, he would have been granted indefinite leave to remain when she turned seven, but she died as well.
“The Home Office are not being fair. We want a review of this decision.”
“He is a deserving person for this extension. He doesn’t have anything. He applied for an extension because he has nothing left.”
Lawyers representing Shethwala argue he is heavily reliant on his support network in the UK following a decline in his mental health.
He briefly returned to India after the crash but came back to the UK, finding the intense media coverage there difficult to cope with.
Fizza Qureshi, chief executive of the Migrants’ Rights Network, said:
“We are horrified at the callousness of the Home Office separating a grieving father and husband from his support network, who are caring for him and his mental wellbeing at this tragic time.
“The Home Office refuses to show compassion even during grief. They must reconsider their decision.
“After such a horrific experience, no one should have their life further uprooted and stripped of the valuable wellbeing support they need.”
A spokesperson for the Home Office said: “All visa applications are assessed on individual merit in line with immigration rules.”
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