It seems like we’re stuck in Qatar for Eid. This is very difficult to bear as so many people go away at this time and we want to introduce Raffie to family in UK. At one time we even had had thoughts of going to Trini as well – the best laid plans and all that…
I’d like to have a good old rant at the British Home Office but to be honest I have to shoulder some of the responsibility.
I did not do my due diligence, when I decided to have ‘the baby’ in Qatar, I did not look into what the passport requirements were before he was born. Burdened by lack of sleep and no decision on his Ghanaian name, it took ages for us to register his birth and then for me to do the online research. A lack of a printer at home and Border Agency instructions that seemed to be translated from Latin did not help either.
Eventually, I found out that we needed to submit our naturalisation certificates as well as passports to support the application for Raffie’s passport. We looked and looked through all the paper work we brought from the UK, asked Kofi’s brother and my mother to look through the stuff we have left at theirs -to no avail.
So we applied for replacement certificates to the same department that was already feeling the strain of the increased load of passport applications. This was now mid March and it would take 6 weeks. After 5 weeks and an email to chase which was replied to by an email that said that the ‘Naturalisation Certificate’ department aims to respond to emails within 20 working days. In mid-May, I receive a text from my mother saying that they had arrived.
Discussing with a colleague, I decided to send the application to mummy’s with DHL(small consolation, HMC employees get a massive discount) so she just had to slip in the naturalization certificate and post to the Passport Office which at that time was saying it would take 6 weeks to process. So I started a ‘Novena to Infant Jesus of Prague’ praying that it Raffie’s passport and mine (sent in support of the application) would arrive in time for me to process his Resident’s permit.
If Kofi, as the father, was to request Raffie’s resident permit, it would be done in a day or three but as a woman and the Mother you are at the mercy of the culture who might refuse you and thus delay things (see how things played out when I tried to do Kwame’s 4 years ago … sankofa-1-visa-runs-and-sponsorship-woes
Additionally, as it is Ramadan, many government offices have reduced working times. If the passports were to come during Eid all government offices have 10 days of public holiday., although that does include weekends.
It is essential that I sponsor Raffie as one of my benefits is an anuual flight home for myself and those I sponsor. We miss out on Kofi’s ticket as I was unable to sponsor him (not as much as a financial burden now that he is employed) but thankfully we’d get Kwame’s and mine. Therefore we would like the same for Raffie. Additionally the long view includes payment of school fees as well, once Raffie turns 5.
To add to the mix, my Resident Permit also expired and I can’t renew that if I don’t have my passport. Although, mercifully, I’ve been advised that I have a 3 month grace period as I was beginning to contemplate hefty fines and my own personal account of ‘Locked Up Abroad’. Meanwhile, I have been further scaring myself by looking at news reports and online discussions on this where many people have stated that it has taken longer than the 6 weeks mentioned on the official websites. Also, the supporting documents may arrive several weeks after the baby’s passport.
I cannot account for the amount of time in which I have had panic attacks, crying spells, self recrimination moments and endless rounds of ‘if only’s’.
I have tried reframing and saying ‘next time’, looking for the lesson and counting my blessings but I just want to shout out ‘It’s not fair !’ (I am acutely aware that I am constantly telling Kwame that life’s not fair when he tries this stunt) and say some choice words to Teresa May and David Cameron.
When was the last time you wanted to shout to the universe ‘it’s not fair!’