ABU DHABI // When Mohammad Mohsin lost his job as a taxi driver just over a year ago, he decided to take his family back home to Pakistan.
His wife, however, gave birth to their third daughter, Hooria, in the UAE, and he now has a large medical bill to pay.
“My wife had a caesarean and because we had no health insurance, the operation cost Dh20,000,” Mr Mohsin, 31, says.
He was unemployed and could not pay the amount. “The hospital refused to give me a birth certificate unless I paid all the money,” he says.
A year on and Mr Mohsin is unable to raise the amount. He cancelled his visa and is illegally resident in Dubai.
“My two other daughters and baby also don’t have visas,” he says.
His job did not allow him to sponsor his family.
“I used to work for 12 hours a day and during weekends. There were no holidays and our pay was based on the commissions we got. Sometimes, I earned Dh2,000 or Dh3,000 per month,” he says.
The biggest obstacle to a return home is the hospital fees.
“Without a birth certificate, I can’t get my daughter a passport so we can all travel back home. My two other daughters have passports, but passports without valid residency visa is a problem and [are] illegal.”
His eldest daughter is seven and has not gone to school.
“To go to school she needs to have a residency visa and she doesn’t have one,” he said. “We also have no health insurance, so we are always worried when someone gets sick.”
Mr Mohsin and his wife are hoping for the day when they and their daughters will be back in Pakistan.
“I can’t afford to keep them here and I want my daughters to go to school. It’s unfair to keep them here,” he says. “In Pakistan, my parents and brothers and sisters are there. They are waiting for us.”
The family survive on charitable help.
“Different charities give us money to buy food and we really appreciate it but what we really need is money to pay the hospitals fees and the tickets to go back home. We can’t go on surviving here. Everything is too expensive for us,” Mr Mohsin says.
He is unsure whether he will come back to Dubai again if he gets the opportunity to leave.
“There isn’t a job waiting for me in Pakistan or anything like that. But all I know is that my daughters and my wife, need to go back to Pakistan for a stable life. I cannot meet their basic needs in Dubai.”
Hisham Al Zahrani, manager of social services at Dar Al Ber Society, said: “Mr Mohsin and his family can’t go on living like this. The girls need to be in school and in a stable home. We hope we can raise enough money to go back home where they will be reunited with their grandparents and extended family.”
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Here’s how you can help
Call the hotline at 0502955999, or send a WhatsApp message to the same number. Donations can be made by depositing funds in Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank account, Iban number AE9805 000 000 000 11530734 or Dubai Islamic Bank account, Iban number AE8002 4000 352 0443 1952 01. Donations go towards paying Mohammad’s medical care.
salnuwais@thenational.ae
