You Can Run But You Can't Hide

[GuestHouse]

The British CSA is all in the news at the moment (Child Support Agency) - The head of the organization has resigned over problems with poor management or the organization.

Reform is promised. Amoung the reforms suggested is to remove the rights to certain government and national provisions for of parents who do not pay child bennefits. A particular suggestion is that parents who have oustanding debts to the CSA ( are not paying for the maintenace of their children) should have their rights to renewal of their passport removed.

Such provisions are already in place in the US.

No passport - No chance of staying overseas!

[Khutan]

Its amazing how western countries act as if their passport is the only one inthe world that matters and the rest should be used as Toilet tissue.

Really, how hard is it to get another countries passport. Good to see such imperialism has not stopped.

[ProfessorFart]

It won't happen. It is a breach of EU law to revoke a passport for an outstandinng debt. They tried it with the poll tax but were shouted down.

[GuestHouse]

The proposal is not the revoke, but to refuse to re-issue.

[ProfessorFart]

I don't even think individual governments have the power of that now within the EU.

[the scouser]

I can't see it, to be honest. As far as I'm aware the law currently stipulates that the government cannot refuse to issue a passport to a British citizen unless they have previously been repatriated at public expense and haven't paid back the money.

Furthermore, if a passport were to be denied to those who owe maintenance are they also going to deny passports to other debtors; e.g. those who haven't paid a court fine? Ultimately the entire thing becomes too cumbersome and you'd end up with a sizable chunk of the UK population being unable to get a passport.

Moreover, the object of such an act, i.e. to get debtors to pay their maintenance, would be defeated when the embassy in Bangkok refuses to issue such an individual with a replacement passport. In other words we want you to return to the UK in order to face your responsibilities but we are not going to give you a passport to facilitate your return trip.

Additionally, as a previous poster alluded to, such legislation would be bound to fail as those who have an entitlement to dual nationality would simply obtain a document of their other citizenship. It is indefensible to take action only against those who are British when many offenders are of other nationalities.

Scouse.