MADRID (AP) – Blame the travel restrictions of COVID-19 or Brexit, but whatever the cause, some British citizens trying to return to their homes in several European countries this weekend were prevented from boarding flights.
The airlines refused documents that before Brexit were valid proof of the British status as residents in Spain, Italy and Germany, although Spanish authorities said the issue had been resolved by mid-Sunday.
His ordeal came amid travel restrictions due to a variant of the coronavirus that was responsible for faster contagion in the UK and highlights the bureaucratic complexities resulting from Britain’s departure from the 27 nations of the European Union.
Spanish and British authorities said on Sunday that the green EU citizenship certificate with a foreigner identification number issued by Spain is still valid for British citizens residing in Spain under the bilateral provisions that followed the UK’s departure from the bloc in December 31th. .
But travelers say British Airways and Iberia, which are part of the IAG group, have refused to let them board for the past two days.
Iberia said in a statement late on Sunday that a communication from the Spanish border police on January 1 had created “some confusion” and that was clarified later. British Airways did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
About 300,000 British citizens are registered as permanent residents in Spain, although before Brexit, many others lived full or part time in the country without officially registering.
Patricia Moody, a 69-year-old retiree who lived for almost four years in the city of Zurgena, in southern Spain, was among a group of at least nine people who failed to board a BA / Iberia flight to Madrid from the airport. London Heathrow on Saturday.
Moody said she and her husband, who she says she needs to see her doctor in Spain, spent £ 1,900 ($ 2,600) to test for the virus, travel to the airport and book new tickets after boarding was refused. . The second attempt was also useless.
“Throughout all the months of Brexit trading, we have always had the guarantee that nothing would change for us,” she said. Referring to airlines and authorities in both countries, she added: “It is horrible and we are suffering because of your incompetence.”
Following the discovery of the coronavirus variant in the UK, many European nations have banned all travel to the British Isles, except for their own UK nationals and citizens with a right of residence.
Travelers to Pisa, Italy and Berlin also reported similar obstacles on boarding planes operated by Ryanair and Lufthansa, despite carrying documents that were accepted by the Italian and German governments, respectively.
Matt Bristow, spokesman for the British association of residents of Germany in that country, said: “This appears to be a case of UK airport officials not knowing which documents to accept or applying the rules more strictly than the border police German would do ”.
Spain is implementing a new registration system for permanent foreign residents called TIE, but it is being delayed due to the high number of applications. The authorities told the AP that proof of enrollment for TIE and the “green certificate” for EU citizens were still valid for travel by British residents under the new health restrictions in effect until 19 January.
“This shouldn’t be happening,” said the UK embassy in Spain in a Facebook post. “The Spanish authorities reconfirmed today that the green residence document will be accepted for return trips to Spain, as indicated on our travel advice.”
But Sam Dakin, a 32-year-old English teacher who has lived in Barcelona for four years, and his partner, who has been in the Spanish city for 8 years, said they needed more guarantees before they could re-fly.
The couple was prevented from flying on Saturday morning, despite carrying their certificate, and was prevented from boarding another flight on Saturday night that British Airways had initially said they could take.
“Just because the government advisor said we could travel, we don’t know if that will happen when we get to the counters,” said Dakin. “We just don’t know where we will get the answers.”
In a note, the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that there was “an isolated communication problem with some airlines that affected a very small number of passengers” and that air traffic between the UK and Spain was occurring “as normal” in mid-Sunday.
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AP writer Geir Moulson in Berlin contributed to this report.