The courts have made their decision on whether to deport a 74-year-old mum with Alzheimer’s, who is living in Sabden, or let her stay in the country.

Last year the Home Office rejected Rhimou Satter’s visa application to stay in the UK and said she must return to Tangier in Morocco.

Rhimou’s son, Wellsprings restaurant owner Zak Marhraoui, launched an appeal against the decision back in November and said his elderly mother, who moved to Lancashire more than two years, needed to be taken care of. 

The court hearing, at Manchester Tribunal Hearing Centre, took place in April and the appeal has been approved, meaning Rhimou can remain living with her son in Sabden.

Zak said his mum would have been on her own if the appeal was unsuccessful.

He said: “Now she is getting older and she lives on her own. I can’t leave her on her own in another country and she has to spend the rest of her life with me.

“She [was] so scared at the thought of being on her own.”

Zak, who spent around £12,000 on legal fees, said the tribunal’s decision is a “massive relief” after months of stress and worry.

He said: “It went really well and the judge approved it. Now we are just waiting for the Home Office to release my mum’s passport.

“It is a massive relief for us. Our mum doesn’t really know about the process as she has Alzheimer’s but she is happy.

“There is no one over there to look after her, she needed to be with her family.

“She’s staying with me and I am the one looking after her.”

Zak, who owns The Wellsprings restaurant in Sabden, said he can now focus on expanding his business.

He said: “I have a strong business here.

“I didn’t want her to go anywhere it would have been very hard for me to keep going between the countries.

“Now it’s easy. She’s with us and it’s brilliant.”

Zak wants to thank everyone who supported him throughout the last difficult few months, especially Ribbley Valley MP Nigel Evans who came to visit his mum.

He said: “I want to thank the judges for making their decision and I want to thank everyone who has supported me throughout the process.

“I would like to thank Mr Nigel Evans as he came and met my mum and was very supportive.”

According to Zak, the Home Office gave “no real explanation as to why” the application was rejected, and said he spent nearly £10,000 on solicitors fees, insurance and other costs in order to submit the application correctly.