'Our children are suffering': Sri Lankan mother in UAE appeals for help as debt crisis and legal troubles tear family apart

Dubai: "The only reason why I have not given up and still have hope is because of my children," said Raziya Razick, a Sri Lankan expatriate who has called the UAE home for the past decade.

Razick and her family are grappling with legal dues, the result of a series of setbacks that began when she lost her job last year. Her husband, Mohamed Waseem Ubaidulla, is currently the subject of a case relating to a bounced cheque from 2019, and has been in detention since July as a result. Razick herself is barred from travelling due to an unpaid loan.

The couple's three children, aged three, seven and fifteen, have been unable to attend school because of the family's financial and legal difficulties. On some days, even putting food on the table has proven difficult.

"We have not hurt anyone or tried to steal. We have unfortunately landed in financial issues that kept on piling up, due to job loss," Razick said.

Despite applying for jobs without success, she continues to search for work in the hope of putting her family's life back on track. "We created our home in the UAE, and for our kids, this is their life," she said. "I just want to create a stable future for my children. We want to stay in the UAE, but we have to solve our issues first."

A mounting financial burden

According to documents seen by Gulf News, Razick has submitted a request to the Dubai Court to settle the Dh56,236 owed in legal fees and penalties related to her husband's bounced cheque case, through monthly instalments.

Under the proposed arrangement, she would first pay a down payment of Dh11,247, with the remaining balance settled in instalments of Dh4,498 a month over ten months.

"At this moment, even raising the initial payment is impossible for us, because we have no source of income," she said.

The family's troubles began after Razick lost her job. Her husband later secured new employment, and his employer had begun processing his work visa, pending only his Sri Lankan Police Clearance Certificate.

However, before the certificate could be issued, a case was registered against him and travel ban, meant his new employer was unable to secure the residence visa and work permit needed to formalise his employment.

Beyond the bounced cheque linked to their previous home in Al Nahda, the couple also owes unpaid loans and credit card debt accumulated during prolonged periods of unemployment. Razbick has an outstanding credit card balance of Dh22,766, in addition to a second credit card balance of Dh11,200. "Due to my unpaid loan and outstanding dues, I cannot access my end-of-service benefits, which are currently frozen," she said.

"For years, we have been trying to survive while losing jobs one after another, with only one of us working whenever possible, just to provide for our family's daily needs," she said.

Children bearing the brunt

The strain, she said, has taken the greatest toll on her children. "Our children are suffering the most. Every day they ask when their father is coming home. They cry themselves to sleep because they miss him so much, especially our three-year-old, who cannot understand why his father is gone. They struggle to sleep at night, and I am deeply worried that the emotional stress is beginning to affect their health. They aren't going to school, and they see their friends going to summer camp. As their mother, it is heartbreaking to watch them suffer while I have no answers to give them."

The family also risks losing their home in Al Muhaisnah, after falling two months behind on rent payments to their landlord. "We fear we may be asked to vacate at any moment," Razick said. "We are living with constant uncertainty, wondering how we will feed our children or where we will sleep if we lose our home."

While the family had hoped to remain in the UAE and continue building their lives there, the mounting legal and financial pressures have made this increasingly difficult, and they are now considering returning to Sri Lanka to be closer to relatives.

A plea for help

"I am trying to reach out to see if our story can reach a good Samaritan. I have exhausted all options, and because of our legal troubles, our options are limited. I am not asking for sympathy alone, I am asking for a chance," Razick said.

She hopes her story will reach a charitable organisation or legal aid body that could help guide the family through the process of settling their debts and legal penalties.

"We have never asked for luxury, only for the opportunity to work honestly, clear our debts, and provide a safe and stable future for our children."