The Ngolo family were invited to the Scottish Parliament, a month after they were brought together having been separated for a decade
A family who were emotionally reunited after being separated for more than a decade have been welcomed to the Scottish Parliament.
Aziza Theresa Kumbele was separated from her sons Patient and Yankie due to civil war in Zambia.
The family were reunited at Glasgow Airport last month after being apart for 11 years, and were invited to meet First Minister Nicola Sturgeon this week.
Theresa and her husband Bata Anzurini Ngolo came to the UK in 2007, however her two sons remained in Africa with their father.
In 2012, the boys’ father passed away and Theresa contacted the British Red Cross to see if they could assist in bringing them to stay with her in Glasgow.
The charity assisted with the family reunion application and provided travel assistance, arranging and paying for the flights of the children once the visa had been granted.
In the case of Theresa and her sons, it took five years from starting the application to the boys finally arriving in Scotland.
With the help of a lawyer, who the family were able to access with legal aid in Scotland, Theresa and Bata navigated a challenging process which required providing evidence of their lives and relationship with the children, obtaining official documents such as the death certificate of the father and passports for the children and the children themselves travelling to the British Embassy in DR Congo to progress the application face to face.
Waiting for the boys to arrive at the airport with an expectant tear in her eye, Theresa told the Red Cross: “I’m going to be happy to see them. I’m very happy. But it is a long time since I have seen them. I have always dreamed to see my children”.
The boys start school and college in Glasgow next week.
Sturgeon said: “Many refugees are separated from close family members as a result of their circumstances, and it is important we do all we can to help them reunite, so I’m delighted the Ngolo family are now able to live together again and settle here in Scotland.
“It was a pleasure to meet them and I wish them all the best for their new lives together in Glasgow.”
