“I feared for my life, but now my son and I are safe.”
Young mum Aisha* came to us in 2025, traumatised after experiencing domestic abuse at the hands of her husband and his family. Having fled her home with her new baby, Aisha was living in a women’s refuge.
“I was born in Pakistan and had an arranged marriage with a man living in the UK,” Aisha explains. “When I moved here in 2023, I had to leave my family and everything I knew behind to be with my husband.
“I lived with his family, but they were very abusive to me. If I didn’t do everything they asked, they would scream and shout at me. They’d call my family back home, telling them I was lazy and disrespectful, then they would scream at me too.
“I became extremely anxious and depressed, and felt like I had no control over my own life.”
After falling pregnant, Aisha’s home situation worsened. After giving birth to a baby boy, she feared for both herself and her child.
“One day, a man came to our house looking for my husband and asking for money,” Aisha says. “He threatened me with a knife before running off. From then on, I felt I was in real danger.”
When the police responded to the incident, Aisha summoned up the courage to ask for help. The police contacted a social worker, who helped Aisha to safely leave her home with her son.
“I told the social worker that my family would kill me if they found out I was leaving,” she says. “She told me, ‘If you trust me, I promise I will save you both.’ She helped me get away to a refuge.”
“When you’ve been threatened and traumatised, it means a lot to be able to speak with someone who understands you”
Although she had escaped her abusive family, Aisha had just three months’ leave to remain in the UK and needed to secure her immigration status.
A support worker at the refuge put Aisha in touch with one of South West London Law Centres’ Immigration Solicitors, Sabira Kashmiri. Sabira helped Aisha to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain on the grounds of domestic abuse.
“By the time I spoke to Sabira I was scared and exhausted,” says Aisha. “Talking to her was like talking to a friend rather than a solicitor. When you’ve been threatened and traumatised, it means a lot to be able to speak with someone who understands you.
“Sabira was kind and patient. She told me that she couldn’t promise I’d get leave to remain, but that she would try. She was always very positive.
“All I wanted was to be able to work and to build a new life for me and my son. She gave me courage, and I felt blessed.”
Sabira advised Aisha on her status, gathered evidence to support her immigration claim and represented her throughout the case.
Aisha’s application was successful, which means she now has access to all the same services available to a British Citizen.
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“Aisha’s case was particularly memorable because of the extent of the challenges she had faced,” says Sabira. “These included domestic abuse, isolation and the responsibility of protecting her young child while navigating an uncertain immigration situation.
“What stood out to me was her resilience and determination to seek safety and build a better future, despite those difficulties.
“It was incredibly rewarding to achieve a positive outcome, knowing that it provides the security and stability she and her child need to move forward with their lives.”
Since being granted Indefinite Leave to Remain, Aisha and her son have left the refuge and been moved into temporary accommodation in a new city.
“I’m so happy with the outcome,” Aisha says. “I’m now legal in this country and have my own rights. I can work, buy a home and do everything possible for my son.
“I’m not bound to anyone now – I have so many opportunities that I didn’t have before. For me, getting leave to remain means freedom, independence and peace of mind at last.”
Need legal help or advice on work, immigration, money, family matters or housing? Get in touch with us today.
*Aisha’s name and likeness have been changed to protect her identity.