A Dublin woman is calling for urgent help to reunite her daughter, Alma, and granddaughter, Isabella, who have been stranded in Abu Dhabi for over two years due to a travel ban placed on the four-year-old. Since March 2022, Alma and Isabella have been unable to leave the United Arab Emirates (UAE) despite Alma winning full custody of her daughter in the UAE’s family courts. The travel ban, however, remains in place, preventing them from returning to Ireland.
Trish McCabe, Alma’s mother, described the ongoing ordeal as “hell” for her daughter, who has been through immense emotional distress. Alma, 36, has won all parental rights to Isabella, who is an Irish citizen born in Ireland, but the legal situation in the UAE has complicated their efforts to return home. The travel ban was issued during a bitter custody dispute with Alma’s ex-husband, who secured the court order preventing Isabella from leaving the country. Despite Alma’s victory in securing full custody, the ban on Isabella’s travel remains in effect.
Alma has spent the last two years fighting for justice in the UAE’s complex and often slow-moving legal system, but the travel ban continues to block their path. “She’s been through an unbelievable traumatic time. It’s been hell,” Trish McCabe said, adding that her daughter’s sole wish now is to return home to Ireland with her daughter. “She’s won everything. All she wants is to come home to her family and the only thing standing in her way is a local travel ban.”
McCabe and Alma have reached out to various Irish politicians, including Taoiseach Simon Harris, Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald, and Tánaiste Micheál Martin, seeking their help in resolving the situation. However, the Irish Embassy in Abu Dhabi has stated that it has limited capacity to intervene in this case, leaving Alma and Isabella in a precarious situation.
The Irish Department of Foreign Affairs has been contacted for comment, but as of now, no official response has been issued. Advocacy group Detained in Dubai, which supports expatriates and tourists facing legal challenges in the UAE, has also called on the Irish government to engage with UAE officials to facilitate the family’s return. Radha Stirling, founder of Detained in Dubai, expressed concern over the long and often unfair legal process in the UAE, particularly for foreign nationals. Stirling noted that the UAE courts are notoriously difficult for expatriates, with judgments often taking months or even years, and the impact on families can be devastating.
“The UAE’s judicial process moves very slowly, and there seems to be little urgency about the effect this is having on Alma and Isabella,” Stirling said. “If Alma and Isabella are to be freed from this situation and allowed to return to Ireland, it will require intervention from the Irish government and diplomatic engagement with the UAE authorities.”
The case highlights the complex and difficult legal challenges faced by expatriates living in the UAE, particularly when relationships break down and custody battles ensue. The UAE legal system has been criticized for its bias towards local citizens in family matters, leaving many foreign nationals struggling to navigate the process and facing long delays or unfavorable rulings.
Alma and Isabella’s situation has garnered sympathy from many, including Irish lawmakers and advocacy groups, who are calling on the Irish government to use diplomatic channels to help reunite the family. As Christmas approaches, Trish McCabe’s hopes of being reunited with her daughter and granddaughter are growing, but without government intervention, their return to Ireland remains uncertain.
Alma’s custody victory in the UAE courts should, in theory, have resolved the issue of Isabella’s travel ban. However, the UAE authorities have yet to lift the ban, leaving the family stuck in a foreign country, unable to return home despite Alma’s legal win. The McCabe family’s plea for help underscores the ongoing challenges faced by expatriates caught in legal disputes in the UAE, and the need for stronger diplomatic support to assist citizens in such distressing situations.
References:
- Detained in Dubai – Advocacy group supporting expatriates in legal disputes in the UAE.
- Radha Stirling, founder of Detained in Dubai, comments on the challenges faced by expatriates in the UAE’s legal system.
- Trish McCabe’s statements on her daughter’s and granddaughter’s ongoing ordeal.
- Contact with Irish politicians and the Department of Foreign Affairs for intervention.
