This was the heartbreaking moment when a terminally-ill Pakistani citizen was reunited with his family in a Birmingham hospital after he was denied a life-saving operation.
Nasar Ullah Khan, 38, who overstayed his visa was refused a transplant just before Christmas because of his immigration status.
Mr Khan met his family for the first time in nine years at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham after he made a desperate final plea from his bedside.
He was too ill to go back to Pakistan and an appeal had been launched to speed up his family’s visas.
In his dying wish, the Pakistani citizen had pleaded with the British and Pakistani authorities to allow his family, who were in Pakistan, to be by his side.
His message materialised with an emotional reunion which took place at the hospital last week.
Mr Khan was filmed hugging his wife and sons in a video posted on social media.
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In his final plea, Mr Khan struggled to speak and was finding it difficult to open his eyes.
The Pakistani broadcaster Geo News aired his message to the British High Commissioner to Pakistan and the country’s authorities to speed up the visa process.
He said: “Please grant a visa to my children and my wife because they are stuck there, and I am waiting here. Doctors say I can’t travel, but I want to see my family.
“It’s my last wish, thank you very much.”
The British High Commissioner to Pakistan, Thomas Drew replied on Twitter: “Please send me the details and I will see how we can help.”
Under the Home Office’s “hostile environment” policies, Mr Khan who has lived in Britain since 2010, was denied the life-saving operation because he does not have leave to remain in the country.
He is being offered palliative care but has been informed that he will have to cover the bill, which is believed to be around £32,000, even though it will probably be issued after his death.
A spokesperson for University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, said: “While we are unable to disclose details of an individual patient’s medical records, we can state that the Trust strives to offer entirely appropriate care to all of its patients and our actions in doing so are both compassionate and reasonable.
“Treatment in NHS emergency departments is free for patients that are not ordinarily resident in the UK, although any subsequent treatment as a result of admission to hospital is chargeable.
“All patients receive the appropriate treatment as an inpatient; both on an emergency basis on initial admission and subsequently for the care which the Trust considers immediately necessary or urgent.
“They are appropriately invoiced for that non-emergency care in accordance with the Charging Regulations.”
Mr Khan came to the UK as a visitor with “entry clearance” which expired in 2011, but has remained in the country without appropriate leave.
He made a request to the Home Office for further leave under Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights which was unsuccessful.
Mr Khan possesses an “in country” Right of Appeal against the decision.
