A 15-year-old British girl was stranded in Rome for six weeks after being refused permission to return to her UK school, after the Home Office rule requiring dual British nationals to hold a British passport or a “certificate of entitlement” to enter the country came into force in February. The girl, who has dual nationality, was in Italy in April to visit her grandmother when she was prevented from boarding a flight home. Her father, Rowan Somerville, said she missed six weeks of education while the issue was resolved. Passport rule blocks return for dual nationalsUnder the policy, dual nationals risk being denied boarding of a flight, train or ferry if they do not present a British passport, whether current or expired, or a certificate of entitlement. The certificate, priced at £589, is linked to the passport of the person’s second nationality. Somerville said the Home Office and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office were unable to help him secure a temporary document to allow his daughter to travel because she did not hold a British passport in the first place. Her school wrote to government departments, saying it was increasingly concerned about her prolonged absence from education. Emergency travel document issued in MaySomerville and his family then sought help through their local MP, Joe Powell. Powell said he made representations to the Home Office and the FCDO and that, in May, the FCDO issued the girl with an emergency travel document, allowing her to return to the UK. Powell said the case was not unique, and urged the immigration minister, Mike Tapp, to ensure no other schoolchildren were left stranded by the rules. He said the policy changes were not communicated meaningfully to the public and that the outcome showed weaknesses in how government departments support people who fall through administrative gaps. Powell said the girl had two valid passports and a British parent and had been in UK education since nursery. He added that the changes to the Home Office’s requirements left her stuck in Rome and missing six weeks of school. Home Office says carriers must verify citizenshipSomerville described the process of getting his daughter the necessary British passport as prolonged and difficult. He said getting the passport took about three months, while the government website states it takes three weeks. He said the Passport Office’s front-line customer service staff were helpful, but added that he encountered what he described as bureaucratic obstacles once his complaint was escalated, including a call during which staff told him they could no longer speak to him because his daughter had turned 16. The Home Office previously rejected claims that it had not informed the public about the rule change, saying information is available on gov.uk. A Home Office spokesperson said Somerville’s daughter “was granted an emergency travel document in May, enabling them to return to the UK”, and added that the department remained in contact about a passport application. The spokesperson said that once information was received and checks were concluded, a passport was issued within eight days. The spokesperson said that since February all dual British citizens have needed to present either a valid British passport or a certificate of entitlement when travelling to the UK, arguing that without the documents “carriers cannot verify British citizenship”, which may lead to delays or refused boarding. Join the discussion? 16 July 2026
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