Dr Mashuq Kurt joined Royal Holloway, University of London in 2022 as a permanent Lecturer in the Department of Law, Criminology and Sociology. He is a well-respected Kurdish scholar, activist and award-winning documentary filmmaker on Kurdish rights and Muslim diasporas and the recipient of numerous fellowships, grants and awards. Mashuq has lived and worked in the UK since 2015 and was granted a residency under the Global Talent visa. He has worked at Queen Mary University of London, the University of Manchester, and the LSE. During this time he maintained a close parental relationship with his 15 year old daughter Azra and was responsible for her care. In 2022, he received a permanent residency (ILR) in the UK and has recently applied for citizenship.

He is committed to building a life in the UK and to do this he needs to bring Azra to come and live with him. She is his only child and he has sole legal custody granted to him by the Turkish courts. As a skilled worker, he did not foresee any problems or issues and obtained housing near the school he enrolled her in. He expected her to start the new academic year with him in September 2023.

Unfortunately, the Home Office has refused his daughter's visa to join him in the UK not once, but twice, saying that he has no legal responsibility and rejecting the 300 pages of documents demonstrating his involvement in his daughter's life over the last ten years (including regular visits to Turkey, holidays, medical and school payments). The Home Office said they were ‘not convinced’ he was involved in his daughter’s upbringing. The stress has had a negative impact on his daughter’s health, and he now fears for her well-being.

Mashuq is now in a position where he must re-apply for the visa for his daughter and challenge the Home Office decision, adding additional legal costs when he has already incurred considerable costs. We estimate the significant costs will also include a barrister, which are broken down below. As Mashuq’s close friends and colleagues, we are therefore fundraising these costs so that he and Azra can be reunited.

Visa fees £1543 x 2

Immigration Health Surcharge up until the end of next year £1641.

VFS fees for both £215

Priority application £500 x 2

IOM medical charges £55 x 2.

Solicitor £2500.

Barrister £2000

Flights £1000

Total: £10.552

We are anticipating legal and other fees, so we are raising a slight excess of the total amount listed above. All funds will go directly to Mashuq; however, any unspent excess will be refunded to all donors.