When you’ve escaped a controlling relationship, the last thing you want is to risk losing your freedom again—especially when your children’s safety is on the line.
A mom who rebuilt her life after leaving an emotionally and financially abusive marriage now faces a heart-wrenching decision. Her ex wants to take their kids overseas to visit his family, but given his history and the laws where he lives, she fears they may never return.
What started as a simple vacation request has turned into a battle of trust, fear, and parental rights. Scroll down to find out how the story unfolds and how Reddit weighed in.
A resilient mom, scarred by years of passport-hoarding and family-fueled fights abroad, draws a hard line on her ex’s Dubai dreams
We’ve all faced moments where protecting the people we love means being seen as “the bad guy.”
Here, the mother’s dilemma isn’t about being overprotective, it’s about ensuring her children’s safety and autonomy in a situation that once left her powerless.
After escaping a marriage in which her ex-husband controlled passports and restricted travel, she has every reason to feel wary about sending her 11- and 13-year-old children on a trip to the Middle East with him.
Legally speaking, the concerns are grounded. According to the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction, an international treaty designed to help return wrongfully retained children, both countries involved must be signatories for the protections to apply. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is not a signatory.
That means even if U.S. court orders exist, they might not be enforceable in the UAE, making the risk of retention abroad real.
Beyond legal issues, the emotional dynamics matter. A parent’s instinct shouldn’t be dismissed. Given this father’s history of blocking communication, forcing financial dependence, and controlling passports, the mother is not simply refusing a visit, she’s responding to a pattern of coercive behaviour.
If children are sent into a situation without consistent oversight and clear protections, their sense of safety and autonomy can suffer.
Experts in international family law caution that when one parent has a documented history of control, travel should not be permitted without clear safeguards and mutual trust.
Building trust happens step by step. not through high-stakes, long-haul trips abroad. Starting with supervised visits or U.S.-based trips might pave the way for future travel.
Here’s what people had to say to OP:
These commenters urge immediate legal action, hire a lawyer, check custody, block passports.
These users warn the kids will likely be kept abroad, do not let them travel
These commenters recommend practical steps, secure passports, notify school, use logged communication
Was her border blockade bold boundary or overreach? How do you gatekeep globetrotting with ghosts in the gallery? Globe-trot your gripes below!
