Kosovan boy sent back to UK

Visar and his mother drive away from Gatwick

A two-year-old Kosovan boy on his way home after a life-saving operation at an Aberdeen hospital has been sent back to the UK.

Visar Zymberi was in Scotland for an operation on his throat but had been given the all-clear to return home.

However, Visar and his mother Sadije were refused entry to Macedonia because the authorities would not accept their UN travelling papers.

Bob Milne, of Grampian-based charity No Frontiers, said the boy and his mother were put back on a plane "in tears" by immigration officials.

Mr Milne said Sadije, who is both deaf and unable to speak, was terrified by the ordeal.

'Unfortunate incident'

A spokesman for the charity later said that the Macedonian authorities had apologised after the British ambassador intervened.

Geoff Morris said: "The Macedonian authorities have agreed this was an unfortunate incident and they are sorry it has occurred.

"They will now accept Visar and his mother if they fly back to Macedonia."

Visar and his mother will now be looked after by a Kosovan from the same village until Friday, when another flight has been arranged.

They will go home via Pristina, where the charity anticipates no problems.

Visar, who was suffering from a congenital throat condition, could only swallow liquids and had survived since birth on his mother's milk.

Keyhole surgery

He had three operations in the Yugoslav capital Belgrade to correct the condition, but because of the political climate, it was impossible for his Kosovar Albanian mother to take him back there.

His plight was discovered by north east charity No Frontiers last year and it made arrangements to bring him to Scotland in April.

Doctors at Aberdeen Royal Children's Hospital performed keyhole surgery and then trained Visar to eat solid foods.

His family have expressed heartfelt thanks to the doctors and the people of the north east and said they were looking forward to being reunited with other family members in Kosovo.

The family's home in the mountain village of Prelofc in the Drenica valley was completely destroyed in the Balkan conflict.