A 16-year-old British schoolgirl has been left stranded in Denmark after she was denied boarding a flight to London due to new UK border rules affecting dual nationals. Hanne, from Sussex, was stopped from flying home on 8 March following a weekend visit to her father in Copenhagen.
Hanne, who is preparing for her GCSEs in May, had travelled with her Norwegian-born mother but was still awaiting a British passport. The family was unaware of the rule change, which requires British dual nationals to present a British passport or a certificate of entitlement costing £589 to board flights, ferries, or trains to the UK.
Her Liberal Democrat MP, James MacCleary, has called on the Prime Minister and Home Secretary to intervene, describing the situation as 'a nail-biting wait' due to the government's mishandling. Hanne has now missed two weeks of school and faces a potential six-week wait for a passport.
Immigration lawyer Zeena Luchowa noted that the Home Office may be breaching laws concerning child welfare, as British citizens have a statutory right to enter the UK. She urged authorities to reconsider guidance to carriers to allow children to return home.
Hanne's mother has returned to the UK to collect school materials for homeschooling in Copenhagen. The school's headteacher has written to the Home Office, warning that Hanne is missing crucial lessons and assessments ahead of her GCSE exams.
