This sort of thing is what really gets up my nose and makes me despair. Windrush and now this.... Notwithstanding, there may be more to this story, the inflexibility and sheer bloody mindedness of bureacrats and senior civil servants reveals that many do not give a sh*t about their fellow human beings, and compassion comes second to rigidly sticking to the rule book. Leave politics and Government policy out of it. There are times when adhering to the 'rules' is inappropriate and just plain wrong, even if someone has not followed the letter of the law e.g. genuine asylum seekers. If the initial decision in this case was simply an oversight, fair enough, but no.... the sheer bloody mindedness to refuse to grant a visa even after appeal after appeal is shocking. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-46923234
But is this not the sort of culture that has been encouraged in this brexit-loving country (and I know Iran is not in Europe, before anyone says it)?
Although I think that policy began under Alan Johnson, and was only ever aimed at illegal immigrants. The problem was that the Windrush folk were not illegal, just not correctly documented due to HO error.