A former social worker is accusing the Government of discrimination after his Ugandan wife was turned down for a standard visitor visa to spend time with him in the UK.
David Sheekey has been married to Sarah for nine years. He visited her at the end of last year but had to return to the UK because he suffers from bipolar disorder and needed to be in the UK for medical treatment.
The couple have not seen each other since February and keep in touch by Skype. Mr Sheekey, from Southport, said his wife was facing discrimination at the hands of the authorities.
“It’s not enough that we can’t live in the same country but now she can’t even come here for a few weeks,” he told the Southport Visiter.
“To me it is discrimination, pure and simple. Sarah has given ample evidence to prove she has every intention of returning to Uganda.”
Mrs Sheekey manages businesses in Uganda and also runs an organisation supporting women with HIV and AIDS.
Her husband said she could not speak to immigration officials face to face as they were thousands of miles away. He said there was a “xenophobic culture” in parts of the Government which he believes is preventing is wife from coming to the UK.
“Why keep tourists out of the country? They come here and spend money. It literally makes no sense,” said Mr Sheekey.
He has recently started a new type of medication for his condition and said he had been advised to keep his lifestyle and environment as stable as possible.
He said: “For the second time, I’m faced with the decision of putting my health at risk to see my wife.”
Mr Sheekey is now seeking a meeting with his local MP John Pugh.