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MADRID: Blame COVID-19 travel restrictions or Brexit, but whatever the cause, some British citizens who tried to return home to Spain this weekend were unable to board flights.
The airlines are rejecting documents that before Brexit had been valid proof of the status of the British as residents of Spain.
Their ordeal comes amid increased travel restrictions due to a variant of the coronavirus that has been blamed for faster contagion in the UK and highlights the bureaucratic complexities resulting from Britain’s exit from the European Union. 27 nations.
Both Spanish and British authorities said on Sunday (January 3) that the green-colored EU citizenship certificate with a foreign nationality identification number issued by Spain remains valid for British citizens residing in Spain under of the bilateral arrangements that followed the UK’s withdrawal from the bloc. December 31st.
But travelers say British Airways and Iberia have refused to let them board for the past two days. The airlines, part of the IAG group, did not immediately respond to requests for comment from the Associated Press on Sunday.
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Around 300,000 British citizens are registered as permanent residents in Spain, although before Brexit, many more lived in the country full or part time without officially registering.
Patricia Moody, a 69-year-old retiree who has called the southern Spanish city of Zurgena home for nearly four years, was among a group of at least nine people who were unable to board a BA / Iberia flight with destination to Madrid from London Heathrow Airport on Saturday.
Moody said she and her husband, who says she needs to see her doctor in Spain, have spent 1,900 pounds ($ 2,600) to get tested for the virus, travel to the airport and book new tickets after they were denied boarding. His second attempt was also futile.
“During all the months of Brexit negotiation, we were always assured that nothing would change for us,” he said. Referring to the airlines and authorities of both countries, he added: “It is horrible and we are suffering from their incompetence.”
Following the discovery of the coronavirus variant in the UK, Spain, like many other European nations, has banned all travel from the British Isles, except for Spanish citizens and UK citizens with residency rights.
Spain has been implementing a new system for registering permanent foreign residents called TIE, but it is experiencing a delay due to the high number of applications.
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The Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs told the AP that, given the circumstances, both the TIE application tests and the “green certificate” for EU citizens remain valid for travel for British residents under the new health restrictions in force until January 19.
“This shouldn’t be happening,” the UK embassy in Spain said in a Facebook post. “The Spanish authorities have reconfirmed today that the green residence document will be accepted to travel back to Spain, as indicated in our travel advice.”
But Sam Dakin, a 32-year-old English teacher based in Barcelona for the past four years, and his partner, who has been in the Spanish city for 8 years, said they needed more guarantees before they could rebook flights.
The couple were prevented from flying on Saturday morning despite carrying their certificate and then denied boarding on another flight Saturday night that British Airways had initially said they could take.
“Just because the government adviser said we could travel, we don’t know if that will happen when we get to the counters,” Dakin said. “We just don’t know where we are going to get answers.”
