A British woman from Aberdeen has been left stranded abroad after her 11-month-old baby was refused boarding on a flight to the UK due to new rules affecting dual nationals. Sarah Schloegl was unable to board a Ryanair flight from Alicante, Spain, last week, despite her husband and older daughter being allowed to travel.
Since February, British dual nationals have been required to present a British passport or a certificate of entitlement of abode, costing £589, when boarding flights, trains, or ferries to the UK. Schloegl said she was unaware of the change and argued it should have been publicised more widely. Her baby, who holds Austrian and British citizenship, was refused entry at the departure gate.
Schloegl described the situation as 'ridiculous,' noting that her baby was born in the UK and lives there. She said ground staff tried to help by contacting the Home Office, but officials insisted the baby could not enter without the correct documentation. The family was also refused emergency travel documents by the British embassy in Spain.
Monique Hawkins of the campaign group the3million criticised the Home Office's approach, saying there was no compassion in refusing boarding to an 11-month-old. The group has written to ministers calling for action to ensure children of settled status holders are covered by the Brexit withdrawal agreement.
The Home Office spokesperson said information about the rule change was available on gov.uk. Meanwhile, Schloegl and her family are camping out in Austria with relatives, with no clear timeline for resolution.
