A British mother who moved to Dubai for a better life was jailed for three weeks after accumulating £22,000 in unpaid rent. She claims she was unable to pay due to unpaid salaries and client invoices, and now faces indefinite imprisonment unless she settles the debt.
A British mother who moved to Dubai in search of a better work-life balance says her dream turned into a 'horror movie' after she was jailed for three weeks over unpaid rent of £22,000.
Kerry Nwachukwu, 44, from Hexham, Northumberland, relocated to the UAE with her adult son in August 2022, hoping for more opportunities. However, financial troubles quickly followed. She left her marketing job in 2023 due to what she describes as a toxic work environment, and claims her employer failed to pay her full salary.
She spent eight months pursuing the unpaid wages through a UAE court, eventually being awarded £8,125, which she says was less than 40 percent of what she was owed. To make ends meet, Kerry started her own marketing agency, but soon faced clients who didn't pay their invoices, leaving her £10,000 out of pocket. By November 2025, she had missed several rent payments, and the debt quickly escalated to £22,000, as Dubai rents are notoriously high.
Her landlord took her to the Rental Disputes Center, which ruled in his favor in April 2026. Before she could arrange a payment plan, Kerry was arrested at a shopping mall on April 22, 2026. She describes being stopped by plainclothes police who flashed a badge, and she knew she had a travel ban.
'In that moment I just thought, okay, I give up,' she said. She was taken to a police station, strip-searched, and then placed in a cell with other women, where she spent the night on a dirty mattress, freezing cold. After ten days, she was transferred to Central Jail, which she says was ten times worse.
'You have to wear a uniform all the time and cover your hair. There's fighting every second, and you're jumpy. Everyone's attacking everyone. It was horrible,' she recalled.
Her son managed to secure her release on May 15, 2026, after setting up a 15-month repayment plan. However, she claims the court later reduced the payment period to just 15 days, leaving her shocked and heartbroken. She paid an initial £3,000 instalment but now owes £19,000 and is under house arrest. Her lawyer warns she faces indefinite jail time until the debt is cleared.
Kerry has launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise the funds and hopes to return to the UK soon. She is speaking out to warn others about the dark side of moving to Dubai, noting the high cost of living and difficulty finding jobs.
'There's no jobs here, I know friends who are moving back because it's very hard to find a job,' she said. Her story highlights the risks of debt imprisonment in the UAE, where unpaid debts can lead to criminal charges and detention. As she fights to repay what she owes, Kerry remains determined to leave Dubai behind and rebuild her life in the UK
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British Mother's Dubai Dream Turns into Nightmare Over Unpaid Rent and JailA British mother who moved to Dubai for a better life describes her ordeal of being jailed for three weeks over £22,000 in unpaid rent, highlighting financial instability, legal challenges, and harsh prison conditions.
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