MADRID (AP) Blame COVID-19 travel restrictions or Brexit but whatever the cause, some British citizens trying to return to their homes in several European countries this weekend have been barred from boarding flights.
Airlines refused documents that before Brexit had been valid proof of the Britons’ status as residents in Spain, Italy and Germany, although Spanish authorities claimed that the issue had been resolved by mid-Sunday.
Their ordeal came amid heightened travel restrictions due to a coronavirus variant that has been blamed for faster contagion in the U.K. and highlights the bureaucratic complexities resulting from Britain’s departure from the 27-nation European Union.
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Brit expats wrongly barred from boarding BA flights to Spain as airline staff claim ID not valid after Brexit
Updated: 3 Jan 2021, 21:14
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BRITISH expats were wrongly barred from boarding a BA flight to Spain after airline staff claimed their ID documents were no longer valid after Brexit.
The travellers, who live in Spain, were stopped from getting on the plane to Madrid from London Heathrow after staff told them their papers had expired.
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The travellers were held up after staff incorrectly told them after staff told them their papers had expired after BrexitCredit: @maximduncan
Deal nearly done for Gibraltar to join Schengen area, leaving it closer to EU than ever
Passport checks for British citizens would continue, but those at border with Spain would end
22 December 2020 • 11:47am
Gibraltar is set to join Schengen, removing passport controls at the border with Spain
Credit: Jon Nazca/Reuters
Talks between the UK, Gibraltar and Spain that would allow the territory to enter the Schengen area with free movement at the Rock’s crucial land border are well advanced, according to reports in the Spanish media.
Gibraltar relies heavily on inflows of goods and people, including 15,000 Spaniards who cross the border daily to work in the territory, whose population is less than 34,000.