A Highland pensioner arrived back in Scotland last night amid claims she had no choice but to leave her home in Australia.
Christina Grant’s son and daughter-in-law say she had to leave the country because they believe she would not get another visa.
And pictures taken yesterday by the 96-year-old’s family show the dementia sufferer sleeping on an airport couch in Dubai after their flight was delayed for five hours.
A video, taken by her daughter-in-law at the airport, also shows Christina appearing very confused about what is happening to her.
Diane Grant, 67, said her mother-in-law’s condition had deteriorated so badly in the past six weeks that it would be “easier to travel with a two-year-old”.
She said: “Taking care of a vulnerable pensioner on such a long flight has not been easy for the family.”
The pensioner moved over 10,000 miles from Dulnain Bridge in the Highlands to New South Wales in Australia in 2015 to be near family after her son Robert, who looked after her, died.
Her visitor visa required that she leave the country once a year – but this had expired and the authorities decided that a South Pacific Cruise booked for her by her family did not qualify.
Christina was then given an ultimatum to leave the country by July 26 and her family say they have heard nothing since.
Mrs Grant’s relatives believe a new visa application would be rejected on health grounds even though Australian government officials have intimated they are willing to resolve the situation, stressing that she apply.
But last night Diane and husband Allan, who live north of Sydney, New South Wales, were due to arrive with Christina at Glasgow Airport. They are expected to travel on to Dulnain Bridge where they have extended family.
As they waited in Dubai Airport yesterday, a video filmed by her daughter-in-law shows a confused Christina sitting in the airport lounge talking to son Allan.
When he asks her about the flight she says “I don’t think we’ve been travelling very far” – even though they had already travelled 7,500 miles (12,000 km).
Australian officials said: “The family chose not to make a visa application which is entirely their prerogative.
“If she had stayed beyond yesterday she would have been eligible to be deported as an unlawful non-citizen as she was declared fit to fly.
“The family chose to fly her back to Scotland so she wasn’t deported and we made no arrangements to deport her.”
