An eight-month-old British baby has been stranded abroad since birth, and his family split between two continents, because of repeated delays and U-turns by the Home Office in processing his passport application. The baby, Jacob, was born in India and cannot leave the country without a British passport.
Briton Richard Hamilton and his Indian wife, Priya Jacob, have two children, Joy, aged three, and Jacob. The couple, who live in Hampshire, are senior humanitarian aid workers. Priya Jacob has been offered a job as regional project director for Asia for the Danish Refugee Council, based in Myanmar, which includes managing the Covid-19 response in Rohingya refugee camps.
The couple applied for Jacob’s passport in February. After seven months, 67 emails, 16 calls to the passport helpline, five letters to their MP, Damian Hinds, and two to the home secretary, Priti Patel, the matter remains unresolved. Joy’s passport was processed in weeks even though the family were based abroad at the time.
Some passport applicants are required to attend face-to-face interviews, but these have been suspended during the pandemic. The family were repeatedly told a Skype interview could take place, but officials then backtracked. In an email on 7 August, officials said Hamilton had been given wrong information and that no online interview could take place. He has since been told a Skype interview can take place.
Hamilton said: “The baby can’t travel, I’m in the UK, Priya and the children are in India and this has prevented us from reuniting as a family. It has become a really most distressing situation.” The couple are worried the delays could lead to Priya’s job offer being withdrawn.
A Home Office spokesperson said: “During this unprecedented global public health emergency we have prioritised urgent and compassionate cases and are now working hard to get back to full capacity at our normal processing sites as soon as we are able to, in line with public health guidance. Throughout this time we have, where possible, explored alternative means to allow customers to complete their applications, but these are not always applicable to every case.”
