Overview

• Jordan Howman, 34, arrived at Dubai International Airport on June 11 for a week-long trip with his fiancée and daughter when officials took him aside.
• Officers confiscated his passport and held him in a waiting area for over six hours before a senior immigration official ordered his immediate deportation.
• Howman’s facial tattoos—geometric cubes and words such as “blessed,” “family” and “crazy life”—triggered the decision despite two previous visits without issue.
• His fiancée and daughter were admitted into the UAE and checked into their hotel while he was placed on an Emirates flight back to the UK, only retrieving his passport upon landing.
• The forced return cost Howman around £3,000 in holiday expenses, caused significant distress to his family and has prompted inquiries for comment from Dubai’s residency authority.