A Highlands nurse and his eight-year-old son have been stranded in Turkey for four weeks after Turkish Airlines refused to accept digital proof of his UK settled status. Ali Abunejmeh, originally from Jordan, has lived in the UK for 15 years and works at Raigmore Hospital in Inverness.
Mr Abunejmeh and his son Sebastien were due to fly back from a holiday in Jordan and the West Bank via Antalya Airport on 5 August. His residence card had expired, but he said the Home Office had advised him to use its online 'View and Prove' service to show his settled status at the airport. Turkish Airlines declined to accept this evidence and denied boarding.
The airline told BBC Scotland it was investigating the incident. The Home Office said non-European nationals must show a valid UK residence card, though its guidance states airlines 'may accept' proof via View and Prove. Mr Abunejmeh said he had spent £2,000 on food and accommodation and missed shifts at the hospital.
Mr Abunejmeh's wife is a Czech national and their three children have British passports. He has since applied for entry as a close family member of a European national. A Home Office spokesperson said: 'Any non-EEA nationals granted settled status must carry their biometric residence card when travelling abroad and this should be in date.'
