New UK border rules for dual nationals are discriminatory against women, campaigners say | Brexit

Campaigners claim new rules requiring British dual citizens to show a UK passport when entering Britain are “discriminatory” against women.

From 25 February, British dual nationals will need to present a British passport when boarding a plane, ferry or train to the UK, or add a new “certificate of entitlement” document to their second passport, costing around £600.

Campaigners say this will be particularly problematic for some women in Greece and Spain who obtained citizenship after Brexit, as British rules require names on UK and second passports to match exactly.

In Greece, women are required to keep their maiden name after marrying a Greek citizen; This means that those who use their husband’s name on their British passport will fall foul of the name matching rule.

In Spain, British people married to Spaniards carry two surnames on their official ID; their mother’s maiden name and their father’s surname; In the United Kingdom, British passports only contain one surname.

“This is causing huge problems,” said Julia Cross of the British grassroots organization in Greece. “Many people did not know they needed to get a second passport, but requiring name matching across two passports is discriminatory and only affects women.” The body represents 20,000 Britons in Greece and is part of the umbrella group. British in EuropeCampaigning for Britons’ rights after Brexit.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs said people would only be allowed to have non-matching names in Türkiye. exceptional cases.

“Where individuals can provide evidence that they cannot change their name on documents issued in foreign countries, the Home Office will consider, on an exceptional basis, allowing them to use a different name on documents issued by the Home Office,” the guidance says.

But campaigners said the new rules had not yet been communicated and were causing confusion and stress for affected women in Spain and Greece.

Cross called on the government to urgently introduce a transition period of “at least three months” to meaningfully communicate the new rules and allow Britons abroad to make the necessary arrangements.

“I contacted a woman who said she felt ‘banned’ from entering her own country,” Cross said. “I asked if we were now entering a Trump environment where they are opposing their own citizens.”

House of Commons briefing paper on the subject Released at the end of January He says Britons have a legal right to enter the country, but the problem could lie with airlines risking fines if they allow anyone onto a plane without the correct documentation.

United Kingdom government guidance It warns with a black exclamation mark: “You may not be able to board your transport to the UK without a valid document” after 25 February.

Stefanie, a British woman who has lived in Spain for 25 years and became a naturalized citizen after Brexit, drew attention to another problem.

Spain does not recognize dual citizens unless they are born to a Spanish and a foreign parent, and naturalization candidates must “tick” a box by giving up their other citizenship as part of the naturalization process.

However, Stefanie said many were “secretly still carrying British passports” but feared that if they suddenly showed it at the airport they could risk losing their Spanish passports as it would reveal the fact that they had not renounced their British citizenship.

He said: “Even if I flew on a Spanish plane and could show the airline that I had a British passport, I was told that the airline might refuse me boarding if the names did not match, which was ridiculous because British people only have one surname and Spanish people have two.”

The change in rules comes as part of a broader effort to improve immigration data collection at the border.

From February 25, foreign nationals will need to apply for an “electronic travel authorization” (ETA) to enter the country for £16, but the government has said dual citizens will not be able to use it on their second passport.

Irish passport holders are exempt from this rule.

Gabrielle Mordy, who lives in Australia and has dual citizenship through her father, told the Guardian that she has been traveling with an Australian passport for years without any problems. But he only heard about the rule change in January, noting that it could take up to eight weeks to get an authorization, so it’s not unexpected for anyone traveling in the next two months.

A woman living in Germany said: “They treat tourists better than their own citizens. Why can’t we get an ETA? If we can’t get a passport why are we paying around £600? That’s a lot of money for a family traveling at Easter.”

Some names have been changed.