I met my husband on holiday in Turkey and had his baby but now I’m alone because he’s BANNED from UK – it’s not a scam

SETTLING her eight-month old daughter down at the end of another long day, Rachel Mackay still has a long list of chores she needs to tick off before she can fall into bed herself. There’s plates to wash, packed lunches to sort for her older children, and yet another visa application to work on because while she’s doing all of the parenting legwork alone, Rachel isn’t a single parent. Rachel Mackay is forced to parent her daughter Emersyn alone after her husband was barred entry from the UK Credit: Claire Wood – Commissioned by The Sun Rachel fell for hotel singer Mackay while she was on holiday in Turkey and was pregnant six months after they met Credit: Jam Press/@rachelmackay Her South African-born husband Kieyaamudien Mackay, 34, dad to daughter Emersyn, is stuck 1,000 miles away after being refused entry to the UK – a situation the couple both feel is unfair. However, their whirlwind relationship has raised more than a few eyebrows. Rachel, 29, fell for hotel singer Kieyaamudien while on holiday with her family in Turkey in August 2024 and just six months after the couple met, Rachel fell pregnant. In March 2026 she married Kieyaamudien in South Africa. Despite their insistence that they should be allowed to be a ‘proper’ family in the UK, Kieyaamudien is yet to set foot here. Three visitor visa applications have been blocked as well as one fiancé visa previously, with the Home Office citing worries that he doesn’t have “an incentive” to return to his home country and doesn’t meet the financial threshold. Rachel says: “No matter what people think, it’s heartbreaking. I don’t feel that we should have to leave the UK. “This is my home country – I was born here, I’ve worked since I was 16 and I’ve paid taxes here for years. “I believe I should be able to live here with my husband and raise our family together. “Instead, we’ve been forced to live in separate countries while trying to raise our daughter together on Facetime from hundreds of miles apart.” The overall refusal rate for initial family or spouse visas typically floats between 15 and 25 per cent in the UK. Failing to meet the strict financial requirement, or providing incorrect documentation, is consistently cited as one of the top causes for refusal. After Rachel shared her story on TikTok, she was inundated with comments from those who are unsympathetic about their plight. She says: “People have accused my husband of only wanting a visa, told me to leave the UK instead, or said he shouldn’t be allowed to live here. Rachel says it’s in her daughter’s best interests to have her dad living under the same roof Credit: Jam Press/@rachelmackay Three visitor visa applications have been blocked as well as one fiancé visa previously Credit: Jam Press/@rachelmackay “I completely understand that people believe immigration rules should exist. “My issue isn’t with having rules, it’s that our circumstances mean our daughter is growing up without her dad, despite us trying to follow every legal route available. “We’re not asking for special treatment. “We’ve applied through the proper immigration system, paid thousands of pounds in fees, and accepted every decision. “Some people have made assumptions about our relationship without knowing anything about us. People are entitled to their opinions, but the comments about him using me for a visa are hurtful because they don’t reflect our reality. “People online say he definitely only wants a visa. “One person said they were in the same boat and when he came over, she found out he was leading a double life. “People say I’ve done this to myself and my child. In March 2026, Rachel married Kieyaamudien in South Africa Credit: Jam Press/@rachelmackay Rachel has two children from a previous relationship, aged 11 and six, and so needs to live in the UK Credit: Claire Wood – Commissioned by The Sun “When they bring my child into it, deep down I think ‘oh my God, don’t bring her into it’. “At the beginning of the relationship I fell out with a family member who was trying to look out for me but did it in the wrong way. “They were telling me to be careful, said I didn’t know him, his background and that he just wanted a British passport. “It was a sore subject but we’ve resolved everything now.” The harsh backlash reflects growing public frustration over the sheer scale of migration and its pressure on Britain’s struggling infrastructure. Data highlighted by Migration Watch UK indicates that over 2,000 foreign-born migrants register for a GP with the NHS every single day, adding immediate operational demand to local surgeries and primary care waiting times. “It’s annoying that there are people like me doing it legally, spending thousands of pounds, losing all that money, getting nowhere, and the money has probably gone towards those people. “The last visa was over £6,000 and we’ve done three visit visas for £500 a time. Rachel estimates they have spent upwards of £7,000 in visa fees, legal advice, and travel and supporting documents Credit: Jam Press/@rachelmackay The application rejection letters cite Kieyaamudien’s financial circumstances as a key factor Credit: Jam Press/@rachelmackay “I had to take out a loan and now I’m trying to save up for another one. “We’ll have to do another visit visa because it’s cheaper. “We’ve spent years in a long-distance relationship, he’s continued working, and we’ve invested a huge amount of time, money and emotion into trying to build a life together legally. “If this was simply about getting a visa, there would have been much easier routes than everything we’ve been through. “We’re together because we love each other.” Rachel says it’s in her daughter’s best interests to have her dad living under the same roof and he’s missing out. She says: “Kieyaamudien missed so many firsts – Emersyn’s first laugh, first foods, first crawl and instead has had to watch them through videos and FaceTime. “No parent should have to experience their child’s early years through a phone screen. The couple are saving up for another spouse visa application, with the help of a specialist immigration solicitor Credit: Jam Press/@rachelmackay No parent should have to experience their child’s early years through a phone screen, said Rachel Credit: Jam Press/@rachelmackay “My little girl needs her dad. “Every milestone is bittersweet because although I’m incredibly proud, there’s always a part of me wishing her dad was here to experience it too.” Rachel has two children from a previous relationship, aged 11 and six, and so needs to live in the UK – but their repeated applications to secure a visa have been unsuccessful. She explained: “One of the visitor visa applications was so my husband could be in the UK for the birth of Emersyn, but it was refused because the Home Office wasn’t satisfied that he would return to his home country at the end of his visit. “As a result, he wasn’t able to be there when our daughter was born and instead had to watch her come into the world over FaceTime, which was heartbreaking for us both. “The other two visitor visa applications were refused for the same reason, with the Home Office stating they weren’t satisfied that he would leave the UK before his visa expired. “The fiancé visa application was refused solely because I didn’t meet the minimum financial requirement needed to sponsor his application. “The minimum financial requirement is £29,000 a year. I’m a solo parent working as many hours as I can as a self employed nail tech. I earn around £21,000 a year.” The tough rules are designed to protect taxpayers, with think-tanks warning low-earning migrants create a net drain on public services, housing, and the NHS. Ministers insist the £29,000 income requirement is necessary to ensure families moving to the UK can fully support themselves. The application rejection letters cite Kieyaamudien’s financial circumstances as a key factor, with his seasonal employment as a musician earning around £1,500 a month raising concerns that he wouldn’t be motivated to leave the UK. But Rachel, who lives in Wigan, insists they are just like any other couple and that she could never have expected the turn life would take when she first met her future husband. “We stayed in touch after I came home and our relationship grew from there,” she recalls. In April, Kieyaamudien relocated to Spain for seasonal work to be nearer to Rachel and Emersyn Credit: Jam Press/@rachelmackay This is our home, and all we want is the opportunity to live together as an ordinary family, says Rachel Credit: Claire Wood – Commissioned by The Sun “Despite the distance, we knew we wanted a future together. “We didn’t plan to have a baby so soon, we’d always imagined getting married first. “But life doesn’t always go to plan, and when we found out I was pregnant, we were both shocked but incredibly happy. “From that moment on, our focus was on building our family together.” But the pair say they could never have foreseen the constant battle it would take. In April, Kieyaamudien relocated to Spain for seasonal work to be nearer to Rachel and Emersyn, who visit as often as they can – but trips are currently on hold while they try to save up for another visa application. So far, Rachel estimates they have spent upwards of £7,000 in visa fees, legal advice, and travel and supporting documents. She says: “We’ve spent so much already and we simply can’t keep paying thousands of pounds with no guarantee of success. “To lose that amount of money after the application was refused was absolutely devastating, especially knowing we had done everything we possibly could. “Even though we’re married and have a British daughter, we still don’t meet the criteria needed for him to be granted a spouse visa.” For now, their relationship relies mainly on daily FaceTime calls. “We wouldn’t change a thing or wish our daughter wasn’t here – we just never imagined we’d be raising her across two countries,” she says. “We don’t want anything special, we just want our daughter to grow up with both of her parents under the same roof.” The couple are saving up for another spouse visa application, with the support of a specialist immigration solicitor. Rachel adds: “We’re hoping that our circumstances, including our right to family life and the fact we have a British daughter together, will be properly taken into account. “I’m working as much as I possibly can, but as a self-employed nail technician who is also solo parenting three children, it’s incredibly difficult to work enough hours to reach the income threshold, which could strengthen his case. “I’m doing everything I can, but it’s not something I can achieve overnight. “Relocating also isn’t a realistic option. “I have two older children who have a relationship with their dad here in the UK, and I would never take them away from him. “Their lives, school, family and support network are all here. “This is our home, and all we want is the opportunity to live together as an ordinary family.” The Home Office said they do not comment on individual cases and that all visa applications are carefully considered on their individual merits, in line with the Immigration Rules and based on the information and evidence provided by the applicant.