Welsh Boy, 9, Stranded in Romania After UK Border Denies Boarding
A nine-year-old boy from Cardiff is stranded abroad after UK border control officials denied him boarding at Milan airport, despite him being born and having lived his entire life in Wales. David Toropu and his mother, Christina, are now stuck in Romania, awaiting resolution after a recent UK government rule change disrupted their return from a family holiday.
Family Trip Turns into Nightmare
David, his mother Christina, her husband, and stepson had been on a rugby tour to Venice during the first week of the Easter holidays. After a four-night stay, the family arrived at Milan airport on Thursday, April 2, to check in for their return flight to London Gatwick. They expected a smooth journey, as they had experienced on the outbound trip, but were met with an unexpected and distressing problem.
UK border control informed them that David could not board the flight to the UK because they held no record of his UK residency. This came as a shock, given that David was born in Cardiff in 2016 and has spent all his years in Wales. He holds a Romanian passport, as his parents relocated to the UK a year before his birth. Both parents are Romanian nationals, with his father having settled status and his mother holding pre-settled status.
Brexit Rule Changes Cause Confusion
Christina explained her misunderstanding of the rules, stating, "I wasn't aware that I needed to apply for his own status because since he was born in 2016 after seven years of continuous residency he was supposed to get automatic British citizenship. Because I thought that was given automatically to him he wouldn't need to have his own settled or pre-settled status since he would have dual citizenship. However, the rules have changed since Brexit and I wasn't aware of that."
With David unable to return home, Christina had to stay in Italy with him while her stepson and husband returned to the UK for school and work commitments. The mother and son spent two additional nights in Italy before traveling to Romania, where they are now staying with family until David can be brought home.
Emotional and Financial Toll
Christina described the emotional impact, saying, "Since he was denied I've had multiple panic attacks, I'm losing my head and I can't stop crying. He's used to his routines, his comfort in his house and everything that is his normal life. He heard the whole conversation of him being refused at the border and he was asking what was going to happen to him. In his mind he was thinking they were going to take me back to the UK and leave him in Italy."
At the airport, Christina attempted to resolve the situation by applying for an electronic travel authorisation (ETA), but immigration officials insisted it was insufficient because the ETA is intended for travel rather than residency, and David's registered address is in the UK.
The ordeal has also taken a significant financial toll. Christina estimates they have spent around £2,000 on hotel rooms, flights, and applications in less than a week, depleting their savings. The rugby team her stepson plays for has set up a GoFundMe page to help cover costs, with Christina noting, "In the Italian hotel we had the cheapest and smallest room and it cost £157 a night by itself."
Political Response and New Travel System
David's constituency MP, Alex Davies-Jones, expressed concern, telling Wales Online, "I'm really concerned to hear about David's situation, and I've been in contact with his family to offer support. This is clearly a very distressing experience for both David and his mum. My office is doing everything we can to assist the family in resolving this as quickly as possible, and I will continue to support them in any way I can to help bring David home safely."
In February, the UK government implemented a new travel system that alters entry rules for many visitors and dual nationals. Under this system, dual nationals must now present either a British passport or a new digital version of the certificate of entitlement to the right of abode to avoid being denied entry. Previously, dual nationals could travel to the UK without such a certificate using their non-British passport.
Certificates of entitlement are not automatically issued, meaning some long-term residents have never needed to apply for them. The government is urging dual nationals to apply for either a British passport, costing around £100 for adults, or a certificate of entitlement, which carries a fee of £589.
A spokesperson from the Home Office has confirmed that the necessary documentation has now been granted, offering a glimmer of hope for David's return. However, the family remains anxious about the ongoing disruption, including potential missed school days for David and health appointments for Christina.
