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Spanish Woman Showed Post-Brexit Residency Documents, But Was Still Taken Forcibly Out of the UK.
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Spanish Woman Showed Post-Brexit Residency Documents, But Was Still Taken Forcibly Out of the UK.

Maria, a 34-year-old Spanish woman, was forcibly removed from the UK after returning from a Christmas vacation close to Málaga, Spain. To prove her right to remain and work in the nation, she had shown Brexit documentation to border guards.

Even though Maria produced the paperwork, she was held overnight on December 26 at Luton airport and told by the police that her documents from the Home Office were not legitimate. Her life was drastically affected by this expulsion; she missed work and an apprenticeship in veterinary nursing.

The Labour MP for Mid Bedfordshire, Alistair Strathern, stated that he intended to ask the Home Office for clarification on this matter.

Due to inadequate proof, Maria’s application for the EU settlement plan, which she had submitted after the deadline in 2023, was denied in June. But she had applied for an administrative review and obtained a certificate of application (CoA) from the Home Office, which allowed her to work in the UK while her application for a settlement scheme was being considered.

Maria was deported after border officials questioned the authenticity of her documentation. The Home Office explained that proving one’s right to remain in the UK under the terms of the departure deal was the main concern, not merely the right to work.

The Home Office stressed that people who are refused entry at the border may be held in custody until they are removed, but they may not always be subject to a deportation order that forbids them from entering again. They emphasized that an EU citizen does not have unrestricted entry and exit rights with a certificate of application. Until December 2020, border officers have the right to ask for more proof of residency because a certificate of application is insufficient.

Strathern emphasizes the significance of border officials abiding by the law in order to preserve public faith in border security as Maria seeks legal counsel. According to the Home Office, border personnel prioritize protecting the safety and security of the borders while basing their choices on the information provided by the traveler rather than their nationality.