Easyjet leaves 100 behind at Milan in border check queues

About 100 people have been left stranded in Milan after a flight to Manchester left without them.

They were due to depart on an Easyjet flight on Sunday but faced queues of up to three hours at Milan's Linate airport because of border control checks.

Marooned passengers told the BBC people had been vomiting and passing out in the heat and now did not know how they would get home.

Easyjet said it was trying to support passengers but that the situation was "outside of our control".

One passenger, Kiera, 17, from Oldham, told the BBC she and her boyfriend faced a 20-hour wait in the airport until they could get another flight tomorrow. She said it had cost her mother about £520 for new flights, but that they would be going to Gatwick, not Manchester.

She added: "We got here at seven-thirty for our flight at eleven so were super early. We got to Border Control and it was a massive queue of people. I wasn't feeling great anyway because I think I'd got food poisoning. At about ten-fifty they brought some water over for people, and when we got to the front of the queue someone asked us if we were going to Manchester, and told us our flight had just gone. There were only about 30 people got on the plane, and about 100 people didn't."

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Dual national Londoner stranded in Spain by new border rule


Natasha Cochrane De La Rosa is staying with family in Spain until the issues are resolved

A London-born woman has been left stranded in Spain and "petrified" for her career after being caught out by a recent overhaul of UK border rules.

Natasha Cochrane De La Rosa, a 26-year-old British-Spanish dual national, was born and raised in Islington and has lived in the UK her entire life. However, she was denied boarding on a return flight from Amsterdam on 2 April using her Spanish passport.

Under rules introduced on 25 February, dual nationals can no longer enter the UK using a foreign passport alone. They must now present either a British or Irish passport, or possess a digital certificate of entitlement. The Home Office said the move brings the UK in line with international standards.

Cochrane De La Rosa said it was an "utter surprise" and she had no idea the rules had changed for dual nationals, when she booked the trip to Amsterdam with friends. She had previously travelled back and forth from the UK on her Spanish passport without issue before the rule change.

After being denied boarding on the Amsterdam to Luton Airport flight, she spent a night in the Dutch capital before travelling to Spain to stay with family. "I have a career, family and friends in the UK. My whole life is in the UK," she said. She told BBC London her case was "nuanced" due to historical nationality laws because her parents were unmarried when she was born in 1999, which meant her British father could not automatically pass on his citizenship.

Despite paying taxes and voting in the UK, she said immigration lawyers had told her the situation put her in a legal "grey area". Cochrane De La Rosanow faces the difficult choice of applying for a British passport, which could take about six weeks and risks rejection due to her birth circumstances, or paying £589 for a digital certificate of entitlement.

"It's terrifying and I'm petrified," she said, pointing to the risks to her employment if she is forced to remain outside country for a long period. "The country has a duty of care. I am 100% a dual national," she said. "[The government] has all the relevant information, how has this been missed."

Cochrane De La Rosa criticised the Home Office's communication of the new rules and how they would impact dual nationals. She said the changes were "not amplified" and if she had known she would not have travelled and "sorted out my paperwork from the comfort of my home".

"No one has slept. My family have been up all night. My sisters and parents are distraught," the Londoner added. "This isn't just about my story but the effect these changes will have on others. Others who don't have the same resources, connections, maybe even literacy, [and] financial security to be able to cope with these changes."

The Home Office said the move brings the UK in line with countries like the US and Australia, which require citizens to travel on national documents. A spokesperson said: "Since 25 February 2026, all dual British citizens need to present either a valid British passport or certificate of entitlement when travelling to the UK." They defended the government's communication of the changes, stating that a "substantive" campaign had been running since 2023, with specific guidance for dual nationals available since October 2024.

While overseas passport applications can be processed in as little as four weeks, those without one can apply for a digital certificate of entitlement, which the Home Office says now only needs to be applied for once, the spokesperson added.

Media seems "full" of this ... did we have a coffee shop thread wider than just Eurostar?

British holidaymakers are being warned to arrive at airports four hours early as new EU border checks cause massive delays across Europe.

The Entry/Exit System, which launched in October and became fully operational across 29 European countries on 10 April, is creating chaos at border control.

The system replaces passport stamps with automated checks that log when you enter and leave European territory.

Because Brits are no longer EU nationals, you now have to register your personal details on your first visit to a Schengen Area country.

This means using EES machines at airports, ferries, and Eurostar terminals to scan your fingerprints and face.

The system was supposed to speed up border checks. Instead, it's causing hours of delays.

Reports from travellers show three-hour waits at Lanzarote Airport in March. Similar delays have been reported in Brussels, Lisbon, and Prague.

Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary has called the system "a shambles" and is demanding a five-month delay to fix the problems before summer.

He says it would make more sense to launch properly in October during the quieter winter schedule instead of right before peak holiday season.

Travel industry experts are warning passengers to add at least four hours to their usual airport arrival time for southern European destinations while the system beds in.

The Home Office claims the checks should only take one to two minutes per person, but admits longer waits are likely during busy periods.

If you're flying to Europe this summer, expect significantly longer waits at passport control both leaving the UK and arriving at your destination.

This change was made and notified in October....people go around not reading....

I agree with you, ChrisB.

That's why I posted this update - just to try to raise this issue among those affected who are still apparently so unaware.

What is the UK's new travel system and how are dual nationals affected?

A new travel system for visitors to the UK comes into force from Wednesday for citizens of dozens of countries like the US and Australia.

The government says electronic travel authorisation (ETA) will improve the immigration system.

However, it has created problems for dual nationals, who have been scrambling to get a UK passport to follow the new rules.

An ETA is a digital permission to travel to the UK.

From 25 February, most people who have been able to travel to the UK visa-free until now will need an ETA.

The new rules apply to people from 85 different countries.

Once approved, your ETA will allow you to stay in the UK for up to six months. It will be valid for two years, or until your passport expires, and allows multiple journeys to the UK.

The visit can be for things like tourism, business or short-term study.

It can also be for people who cross the border and travel through the UK as part of a journey, although people transiting through UK airports and who don't need to go through border security will not need an ETA.

Longer trips and visits for work or longer study will require a visa.

People who usually need a visa to travel to the UK will still need a visa to travel to the UK. They will not need to apply for an ETA as well.

British or Irish citizens will not need an ETA or a visa to visit the UK or to travel through it. There are a few other exceptions, external, such as those with settled status or children travelling from France on a school trip.

The scheme was launched in October 2023 but the government says it was "not strictly enforced to give visitors ample time to adjust to the new requirement".

However, in November, the government said, external ETAs would be mandatory from 25 February.

The government says ETAs will streamline the immigration system, speed it up and make it more secure.

Getting an ETA costs £16, but the government has said it plans to increase the fee to £20 in the future.

To apply, the government recommends downloading the app from Google Play, external or the Apple App Store, external.

You will need to provide contact and passport details, a provide suitable photo, and answer a set of questions.

You must travel using the same passport you used when you applied for the ETA.

The government says most people will get an automatic answer in minutes when using the ETA app, but it recommends people apply at least three working days before travelling.

If a person's ETA application is rejected, the government says they will be told the reason and can apply again.

However, if a person's ETA application is refused, they cannot appeal and instead need to apply for a visa to visit the UK.

Dual nationals face scramble for UK passports as new rules come into force

When Jelena returns home from a "holiday of a lifetime" travelling around South America later this year, she faces being told she can no longer enter the UK.

The British-Latvian dual national is among those who say they have been caught out by upcoming changes to passport rules for dual nationals, which are due to kick in on 25 February.

Entry requirements for dual nationals are being overhauled as part of sweeping changes to the immigration system the government says will streamline and modernise the UK border.

But for Jelena, who has lived in the UK for 16 years, the changes are a "betrayal", and others in the same situation have told BBC News the prospect of being denied entry is causing anger and concern.

Here are how the new rules will work - and why Jelena and others like her are furious about it.

Under the existing rules, a British dual national - whose other nationality is from a country not subject to a UK visa requirement - could travel to the UK using their foreign passport. But from 25 February that will no longer be the case.

Instead, they will need to show either a British passport, or a new digital version of the certificate of entitlement to attach to their second nationality passport - and without one of them, they could face being denied the right to travel back to the UK.

Neither British passports or certificates of entitlement are automatically issued to people who obtain citizenship, which means some dual nationals have never applied for them, even if they have lived in the UK for decades.

Both documents take several weeks to obtain and there are costs too. A British passport costs around £100 for an adult, while the certificate of entitlement costs £589.

These new rules for dual nationals are linked to the roll out of the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system this month, a major immigration reform which will require visitors to the UK who do not have a visa to apply for a £16 entry document before arriving.

Dual nationals cannot apply for an ETA and must meet the new documentation requirements instead, with checks now carried out by airlines when departing en route back to the UK.

The new rules do not apply to Irish passport holders but other EU citizens will be affected.

According to the latest census in 2021, 1.2% of UK-born residents were UK-other dual citizens (587,600) and 6.5% of non-UK-born residents were UK-other dual citizens (648,700).

The government has said the reforms bring the UK's immigration system into line with countries like the US and Australia. But critics say the looming deadline and a lack of communication around the changes have left people scrambling to apply for new documents, with dual nationals who are out of the country on holiday or visiting family facing the prospect of being stranded until they can acquire a passport or the certificate.

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We can’t wait to welcome you on board for your holiday. To help you prepare, we wanted to let you know about an imminent change to UK travel requirements that will impact EU and non-EU citizens.

Please note, these changes don’t affect British or Irish citizens travelling on a British or Irish passport. If you’re a dual citizen with British or Irish citizenship, you won’t need an ETA for your holiday if you travel to the UK on a British or Irish passport, or a passport containing an eligible certificate of entitlement. 
 
If you don’t have a British or Irish passport:

>From 2025, you may need to obtain an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) before you travel so you can visit or transit through the UK. 

These new rules apply to both EU and non-EU citizens, including babies and children aged under 18, who don’t need a visa for short stays or don’t have UK immigration status, from the following dates:

Non-EU nationals

ETA applications for eligible non-EU nationals are now open. ETAs for non-EU nationals are required for travel to the UK from 8 January 2025. 
 
Nationals from Gulf Cooperation Council countries 

It’s already a requirement for nationals of Gulf Cooperation Council countries to have an ETA to travel to the UK.
 
EU nationals
 
ETA applications for eligible EU nationals can be submitted from 5 March 2025. ETAs for EU nationals will be needed for travel to the UK from 2 April 2025.


For more information on obtaining an ETA for your holiday, visit the official UK government website or watch this video about ETA applications. We recommend familiarising yourself with this information to ensure you have all the correct paperwork needed for your holiday.

Please note that an ETA is not a visa and it doesn’t guarantee entry into the UK – instead it authorises an individual to travel to the UK. If you don’t obtain an ETA for your holiday, you may be denied entry to the UK or boarding at the cruise terminal at your own expense. Your ETA will be checked, so you’ll need to present evidence such as a screenshot or a printout of your ETA when asked.

All information in this email reflects UK government guidance in place on 27 November 2024. Please check the UK government website for the most up-to-date information before you travel.