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Court date! Ben and Emma has been waiting for hours. There are no support from SA embassy in Dubai or Abu Dhabi.
No visits, no support for Sue. Ben are released! Words cannot describe the joy! But now, he wants to get out of Dubai.
We, the 3 parents, (Ben’s father died many years ago. How I needed him!), make plans. Sue’s mom is doing the air
tickets for the family. I’m sending money. The mother-in-law, drops the bomb! “I am only buying 3 tickets. For my child
and grandkids.” Well rath has no fury! She buckled up and bought 4 air tickets.
Ryan didn’t have a passport. Ben passport had expired. They needed travel documents. SA Embassy said 2 weeks. I
can’t give up. I won’t give up. I am bringing my son and his family home!
I phone home affairs in Pretoria. I was transferred to a gentleman who works in the ministers department. I told him
my story. But no help was given to me. Then…. God’s intervention!
The gentleman phones me back, within half an hour. " Mrs Ferreira, tell your son to go to the embassy in Dubai. Within
2 hours from now, the emergency travel documents will be ready to collect.”
I'm crying, I can't thank him enough. Ms Ferreira, it's my job. And we here for our citizens. I'm blown away by his humil-
ity and caring.
Monday morning. Ben and Sue drive the long drive to the jail. Ben was held in to collect his passport. He was afraid.
After collecting his password, the commander of the jail said to him “If you see the surmise on Wednesday, I am locking
you up.”
All set to leave. Can't tell anyone. Went to the flat, packed the last things, as Sue had already started packing mostly
kids things. Tuesday afternoon, they leave the flat fully furnished. Food in fridge. Take the kids, luggage in car and head
for the airport.
Parked the car. Went through customs. Nerves and emotions are uncontrolled. They are taken to the interrogation
room. He thought all was over for his family. Thank God they only spoke about the SA embassy.
Board the plan. Sigh of relief. Send photo to parents. “WE ARE ON THE PLANE!”
Plane delayed. Ben and Sue, thinking they are coming to arrest them. As I am writing this. My heart is beating with the
same fear and anxiety.
Plane is in the sky. African sunrise. Then OR Tambo. A nightmare to get through customs.
Sue’s father was waiting for this daughter and family. I can't thank Paul enough, how he took care of them while they
were in JHS. Ben is scared of everyone.
Ben, Sue, Jenny and Ryan are safely back in PE.
Jenny was diagnosed at Red Cross children's hospital in Cape Town with an auto immune disease called
Juvenile arthritis, youngest child in SA. The trips to Cape Town Chemo and medication are ongoing.
Please search: Detained in Dubai. An organization based in Dubai. It’s there to help expats in Dubai.
Arrest are so easy in Dubai. But the rules change so often that it's hard to keep ahead of what is the law. It makes a
parent more afraid. Not only, South Africans are in UAE jails. It's Australian who set up a charity for Indian expats UK
citizens. They don't charge anyone because then you can apply for bail.
Always remember one thing, All the gold that glitters, isn't all it is made out to be.
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