A Scottish mother from Aberdeen has been left stranded in Spain after her 11-month-old baby was refused boarding on a Ryanair flight due to new UK rules on dual nationals. Sarah Schloegl, who was returning from a short break in Alicante with her Austrian husband and two children, said she was unaware of the requirement for dual nationals to show a British passport or a certificate of entitlement of abode, costing £589, when travelling to the UK.
The rule, in effect since February, meant that while her three-year-old daughter, who holds both British and Austrian passports, and her husband, who has post-Brexit settled status, could board, the baby was turned away. Schloegl argued that the change was poorly communicated, stating it should have been displayed in airports and on airline websites. 'I do feel this is ridiculous because my baby was born in the UK, lives in the UK, but she’s not allowed to enter the UK, even with me, her mum, who is British,' she said.
Despite providing the baby’s birth certificate and Austrian passport issued by the Austrian embassy in the UK, the Home Office refused to allow her entry. The family was also denied emergency travel documents by the British embassy in Spain. Faced with potential delays of up to three months, they have decided to stay with relatives in Austria while seeking a resolution.
Campaign group the3million has criticised the Home Office’s handling of the situation, with head of policy Monique Hawkins stating: 'We cannot see the compassion in refusing boarding to an 11-month baby.' The group has written to ministers calling for the Brexit withdrawal agreement to cover dual-national children born to parents with settled status.
A Home Office spokesperson said public information on the rule had been available on gov.uk since February. The Austrian embassy confirmed it is in contact with the family and UK authorities to expedite matters.
