Glentoran manager calls for urgent review of UK's visa application system

Q Newsdesk

Glentoran manager Mick McDermott is calling for an urgent review of the UK's visa application system.

It's after his American wife Karla was forced to spend six weeks in Dubai waiting to hear if she'd be allowed to return to Mick and their four children in Northern Ireland.

Her residency request was eventually turned down by the UK Home Office on Thursday.

But the decision was then reversed 24 hours later with officials telling Mick there'd been an admin error.

🎥 Quite the weekend for @Glentoran boss Mick McDermott on & off pitch. 5th win in a row (4-0 @thepointfc) & huge relief for family as Home Office reverses a decision over a visa application for his American wife, so Karla can return home to Mick & their 4 children next week. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/F8LiP6weTL

— Q Radio News (@qnewsdesk) November 2, 2019

Karla hopes to be back in Belfast within days to be reunited with her family at the home they moved into recently after several years living abroad.

Mick now says the current system doesn't work and rips families apart:

🎥 @Glentoran manager Mick McDermott so relieved his US wife Karla has been granted a visa allowing her to return to their young family in NI after 6 weeks in exile. However, he’s furious with the Home Office & says a “broken process that devastates families” has to change: 2/2 pic.twitter.com/roX2yZS72m

— Q Radio News (@qnewsdesk) November 2, 2019