Scottish mum stuck abroad after baby falls foul of UK dual nationality rules
Sarah Schloegl was unable to board flight home from Spain as 11-month-old lacked documents needed under new rules
TL;DR
- Sarah Schloegl, a British mother from Aberdeen, is stranded abroad with her baby after being denied boarding a flight from Alicante to the UK.
- The refusal was due to new rules implemented in February, requiring British dual nationals to show a British passport or certificate of entitlement of abode when boarding flights to the UK.
- Schloegl claims she was unaware of the rule change and that it was not effectively communicated through airports or airline websites.
- Her 11-month-old baby, born in the UK and with dual Austrian-British nationality, was denied boarding despite the mother being British and having settled status for her husband.
- Campaign group the3million has criticized the Home Office's lack of compassion and pragmatic approach, stating that information was not accessible to travellers.
- The family was eventually forced to stay in Austria with relatives, with no clear timeline for resolution.
- The Austrian embassy is reportedly in contact with UK authorities to help resolve the situation.
- The Home Office maintains that information was available on gov.uk since October 2024, and a communication campaign on Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) has been running since 2023.