Key facts
- A 15-year-old British girl was stranded in Rome for six weeks due to new UK Home Office passport rules.
- The rule requires dual British nationals to use a British passport for re-entry into the UK.
- The girl missed six weeks of school due to the travel disruption.
- Her father criticized government departments for their inability to resolve the situation.
- An emergency travel document was eventually issued, allowing her return to the UK.
- The Home Office stated the rule has been in effect since February.
A 15-year-old British girl was stranded in Rome for six weeks after a trip to Italy due to new Home Office rules requiring dual British nationals to possess a British passport for re-entry into the UK. The rule, which came into effect in February, has affected several children and young adults.
Rowan Somerville, the girl's father, criticized the Home Office and Foreign Office for their inability to assist, describing the situation as a "bureaucratic nightmare" and stating that they "bounced us from one to another." His daughter missed six weeks of school as a result of the travel disruption.
Her school wrote to government departments expressing concern over her prolonged absence. Somerville's local MP, Joe Powell, also intervened, making representations to the Home Office. Eventually, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) issued the girl with an emergency travel document, allowing her to return to the UK.
The Home Office stated that the girl was granted an emergency travel document in May and that since February, all dual British citizens have been required to present a valid British passport or certificate of entitlement when traveling to the UK. They added that a passport was issued within eight days once the necessary information was received and checks were completed.
Somerville recounted difficulties in the passport application process, which he described as taking an additional three months, and noted a call from a senior official stating they could no longer speak to him because his daughter had turned 16. The Home Office has previously dismissed claims of inadequate communication, asserting that the rule change was communicated via the gov.uk website.