The Surprise !
Post Brexit hassles continue - It was a surprise for 40 British nationals when they landed at Alicante-Elche airport in Spain on Tuesday on a flight from Manchester. They were Not allowed to enter Spain, none to blame than Brexit rules.
The of British nationals had residency rights of Spain, but they were denied re-entry to the country and forced to return on a flight back to the UK after a dispute over post- Brexit paperwork at the airport.
A sign has been displayed at the terminal at Alicante saying: “No TIE card, no entry.” , and the 'TIE card' was not in possession of these British nationals
What is a TIE card ?
Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero’ (TIE), the new biometric residency card which Brits who haven’t registered in Spain before July 6th 2020 had to apply for before December 31st 2020.
The TIE cards have been given to British citizens who have successfully obtained residency status in Spain after Brexit.
47-year-old Mancunian Stuart Miller Describes the situation as “absolutely diabolical” .
However, the Spanish authorities have previously made clear that other forms of paperwork proving residency before the end of the Brexit transition period would allow people to return to the country.
What does the UK embassy in Madrid say about this ?
The British embassy said, “We are aware that a number of UK nationals were turned back from Alicante airport at the weekend and we have been in touch with the authorities.
“If you are a UK national who has been turned away and you hold sufficient documentary evidence to prove you have legal residency in Spain … we stand ready to take this up with the Spanish authorities.”
The embassy added that all UK nationals must make sure that they meet entry requirements, adding: “Ultimately, the decision on whether to grant entry into Spain is made by Spanish border officials.”
Sue Wilson, chair of Bremain in Spain, a group advocating for the rights of British migrants living in Spain, said a TIE card should not be essential to prove residency.
She has a opinion about the TIE card ,
“There is no legal requirement for a TIE card, so long as you were already a legal resident before the end of the transition period, and have the paperwork to prove it. Paperwork proving they’d been asked to collect their new residency documents – along with any supporting proof of residency – should be good enough.”
Thanks Max.
— Sue Wilson (@Suewilson91) March 31, 2021
Spoke to the Embassy about this today.
Seems immigration officials were a bit overzealous implementing covid measures, but it is their call at the end of the day. Hopefully an isolated incident. https://t.co/oFEaBLcRfv
Post-Brexit rules for Britons living in Spain kicked in earlier this week. From 31 March, those who do not want to apply for Spanish resident status must return home to Britain, because EU freedom of movement laws no longer apply.
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