A British woman has told how she fears being stranded in Spain for months after being refused boarding on a flight back to London because she was not aware of new Home Office border rules.
Natasha Cochrane de la Rosa, 26, was born in the UK to a British father and a Spanish mother, but because her parents were not married, she was not entitled automatically to British citizenship. Before Brexit, she could enter and leave the country on her Spanish passport under free movement laws. However, new rules that came into force on 26 February require British dual nationals to present a British passport before boarding a flight or to buy a certificate of entitlement to the right of abode in the UK at a cost of £589.
Cochrane de la Rosa was refused boarding by easyJet at the departure gate, despite having access to her British birth certificate and a British driving licence. A member of ground crew contacted the Home Office but she was still refused. She said the British embassy had refused an application for emergency travel documentation because it did not meet the threshold of an emergency.
Her father, Nick, said it was 'ludicrous' that his daughter was being refused entry to the country of her birth. 'How is it that someone can be born in the UK, go to school in the UK and now pay taxes in the UK and be refused entry to their home country?' he said. They have written to their local MP, Catherine West, for help.
The government has rejected calls for a grace period. A Home Office spokesperson said: 'Since 25 February 2026, all dual British citizens need to present either a valid British passport or certificate of entitlement when travelling to the UK.' Critics have said the Home Office failed to run media campaigns at airports and ports to alert dual nationals.
