A 16-year-old British schoolgirl from Sussex has been left stranded in Denmark after being denied boarding on a flight to London due to new UK border rules affecting dual nationals. The teenager, identified only as Hanne, was travelling with her Norwegian-born mother after a weekend visiting her British father in Copenhagen.
Hanne, who is due to sit her GCSEs in May, was stopped from boarding a Norwegian airline flight on 8 March. She had applied for a British passport before the trip but was still waiting for it. The family only learned of the rule change, introduced by the Home Office on 25 February, when they attempted to check in for their return journey.
Her Liberal Democrat MP, James MacCleary, has called on Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood to intervene, describing the situation as 'a nail-biting wait' caused by the government's mishandling. MacCleary said the changes to entry requirements for dual nationals have caused 'untold chaos and stress', with many stranded abroad and missing crucial events.
Hanne's school has written to the Home Office in support of her case, warning that she is missing important lessons and assessments. Immigration lawyer Zeena Luchowa said the Home Office may be breaching laws concerning the welfare of children under Section 55 of the Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009, which requires the home secretary to safeguard children's welfare in immigration functions.
Hanne's mother had to return to the UK without her daughter to collect school materials, and Hanne is now being home-schooled in Copenhagen. The family faces a potential six-week wait for a passport. The Guardian reports that Hanne is the third child known to have been refused boarding since the new rules came into force, which require British dual nationals to present a British passport or a certificate of entitlement costing £589.
