Dr. Saad Kassim

Thank you so much, Ciarán, for giving me the opportunity to come on.

So as I was mentioning to members of your team, I married my wife back in November 2024.

It will be two years now.

I applied for her joint family visa in March of last year, which was one year and three months ago.

The effect both psychologically and socially that's had on both of us as a newlywed couple is just one to imagine.

It's been very hard because I work in a level 3 territory care trauma level hospital.

Sligo General Hospital, as I was mentioning.

And the kind of things we have to see, actually, for any human being, it would be one thing to imagine.

So naturally, when one comes home, you want that comfort and you just want to zone out of it all.

And one of the best ways to do that is to have a family of your own, have someone to return to.

And I assume most people who are listening can relate.

that work in similar jobs, be it healthcare, be it paramedics or anywhere really.

When you come home, you just want to unwind and you just want to relax.

But sadly, because my wife, they aren't approving her visa and it's been almost a year and three months now.

It'll be a year and three months this June.

I haven't left any stones unturned.

I've knocked on so many doors.

It's become quite stressful now because when you hear from your better half that this country isn't giving me a visa or giving me permission to come

legally, you know, it's very devastating.

And that's, you know, it's just something that's interfering, you know.