Zaib Ansari and her family may be forced to leave Sweden despite a severe shortage of pharmacists in Kiruna.
Zaib Ansari arrived in Sweden seven years ago with her husband Rahat Shakeel and daughter Zainab Rahat. She trained as a licensed pharmacist and secured a position at Kronans Apotek in Kiruna. The Migration Court has nevertheless denied her work permit on the grounds that the job advertisement had not been posted for the required period.
Zaib Ansari states that the advertisement had been published for two years and was updated regularly. Kronans Apotek confirmed this in its appeal to the Migration Court of Appeal. The family is now awaiting a decision on whether the case will be reopened.
If deported the family must return to Pakistan and restart the entire process. Zaib Ansari says the ruling would hit their daughter hard because she does not know the culture or the school environment there.