A mother and her toddler have been left stranded in Spain after a passport rule change ‘quietly introduced’ left them unable to return home to Manchester.
Tegan van der Merwe faced every parent’s worst nightmare when she found herself stranded in a foreign country with little money and no way home, being ‘treated like a criminal’.
The 25-year-old mother flew from Manchester to Palma de Mallorca on June 21 for a five-day holiday with her two-year-old daughter. Then, she had no idea of what obstacles they would face trying to return home.
Having lived in the UK since 2002 as a settled British citizen, she had no reason to believe that she and her daughter, who both carry Dutch passports, would have any trouble getting home.
There had been no issues raised when she booked her flights through EasyJet, and the young family had been to Egypt the previous October with no issues.
But when Ms van der Merwe returned with her daughter five days later, they were ‘waved away by airport staff’.
They were coldly told at immigration that they would not be allowed re-entry to the UK – their home, where she has lived and worked for more than 20 years.
A quiet rule change brought about by the Government in February, unbeknownst to Tegan and many other families, has made it suddenly much harder for dual citizens to travel anywhere.
Tegan van der Merwe planned to take her two-year-old daughter on a five-day holiday – but became stranded in Spain for up to six weeks
Ms van der Merwe’s daughter was prevented re-entry to the UK as she only had a Dutch passport – despite her mother being a settled UK citizen
Before February, dual nationals could leave and enter the UK on a non-UK passport with ease.
Now, however, all members of a family – however young – must have either a British passport or a ‘Certificate of Entitlement to the Right of Abode’.
The new system has created many difficulties with the UK’s long-standing dual citizens, notably causing the ‘ETA conflict’. The UK uses an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) for non-citizens.
But if, like Ms van der Merwe, you are a British citizen and have settled status (and cannot get an ETA), relying on a foreign passport will result in an automated system block, denying you re-entry to the country.
Amidst this bureaucracy, Ms van der Merwe and her two-year-old daughter are trapped, living off money raised through a GoFundMe page.
After being turned away from the airport and told by the airline that there was nothing they could do, Ms van der Merwe was advised to go to the British Embassy in Mallorca.
Having been forced to move from the hotel they were staying in to a cheap, self-catered apartment by a noisy strip in Magaluf, Ms van der Merwe travelled by bus and walked for over an hour in the heat with her toddler to the Embassy early on Monday.
But she told the Daily Mail the greeting was less than friendly, or helpful.
The young family have been forced to set up a GoFundMe as the extended stay has left Ms van der Merwe out of work and unable to continue paying her rent back home
The ordeal left the family wanting to ‘renounce their British citizenship’ after they felt ‘stranded’ by the UK government
‘The consulate wouldn’t even open the door. I was told to speak to someone over the phone and put a Spanish address to get documents to apply for a British passport sent to me,’ she said.
‘We were also told we had to get photocopies of everything – which meant walking even further and getting buses to try and find a post office or library which had a printer.’
It cost Ms van der Merwe, a young mother who had already had to extend her stay for one costly weekend, 60 Euros to send off the forms.
Potentially looking at a stay of six weeks in the country while she waits for the passport, Ms van der Merwe said she and her daughter are only buying the essentials like bread, milk and nappies at the shop.
The barrista said she has also been forced to hand in her notice for the home she rents back in Manchester since she is unable to make any income abroad, and will be forced to move in with her mother when they return.
For now, the priority for Ms van der Merwe is ‘trying to make it as normal as we can’ for her daughter, although the situation is understandably stressful.
The mother told the Daily Mail from Spain: ‘She has her ups and downs throughout the day, we’re just trying to make it as normal as we can for her.
‘I’m just worrying about where the money is coming from, stressing about everything, and worrying that ultimately we could end up on the street if we don’t get help.’
She added: ‘It’s a terrifying situation to be in with a young child – we’re not safe here.
‘We had to find the cheapest place to stay next to a strip of drunk people because we are completely stranded.’
The ordeal has left Ms van der Merwe wanting to ‘renounce her British citizenship’ after feeling completely ‘abandoned by the Government’.
‘I don’t want to live in the country anymore, the way we have been treated. It’s like we are criminals – why can a two-year-old not re-enter the country and at least be held and questioned there? It’s terrible.’
It’s a nervous wait for Ms van der Merwe, who remains stranded in Spain.
The Daily Mail approached the Home Office, who said: ‘We are aware of this family’s situation and are actively working to get them back to the UK as soon as possible.
‘Since February 25, 2026, all dual British citizens have needed to present either a valid British passport or Certificate of Entitlement when travelling to the UK. #
‘Without one, carriers cannot verify British citizenship, which may lead to delays or refused boarding.
‘This requirement applies to all British citizens, regardless of other nationality, and brings us in line with the approach taken by countries including the United States, Canada and Australia.’
The GoFundMe to cover the cost of living for Tegan van der Merwe and her daughter can be found here.
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