"Thousands May Be Unable to Depart"…Seeing People Detained at the Airport

Still Struggling to Adapt to Changed Rules After EU Exit
"Had to Be Dragged Out of the Airport Like a Criminal"

Since Brexit (the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union (EU)), there have been numerous reports of British citizens being denied departure at airports when trying to travel abroad.

On the 30th (local time), British broadcaster BBC and others reported that British travelers to EU member countries are now subject to different regulations than before Brexit, but many are still caught off guard and blocked at airports.

The Independent daily stated, "Every day, about 200 British citizens violate the newly changed airport regulations," and predicted, "Thousands may be unable to depart during the Easter holiday period."

Jane Offer (61) said, "Last month, I was traumatized when I was stopped at the airport while trying to go to Spain with my partner," adding, "It was humiliating to be dragged out of the airport like a criminal." She further said, "Fortunately, it was a vacation, but if it had been an urgent matter like a funeral, it could have been a disaster."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Ruth Wade said, "I was refused boarding at the airport while trying to travel to Switzerland via Belgium to attend my son's wedding." Lara Vans and her husband also said, "Last October, we were denied boarding when trying to go to Mallorca, losing 1,200 pounds (about 2 million won) in holiday expenses," adding, "At first, we thought the airport staff was joking."

Citizens of EU member countries are, in principle, free to travel, reside, and work anywhere within the EU. However, after Brexit, only holders of British passports issued within the last 10 years as of the date of entry are allowed to enter EU countries. Passports older than 10 years are rejected even if they have several months left before expiration. Ireland, which has a separate agreement with the UK, is an exception.

Because of this, immediately after the Brexit vote in 2017, the number of British citizens who obtained dual nationality within EU countries (13,141 people) surged by 159% compared to 2016 (5,056 people) to cope with the confusion caused by Brexit.

Brexit officially took effect on the night of January 31, 2020. A transition period lasted until December 31 of that year, but many British citizens still have not adapted to the new regulations. Regarding this, a UK government spokesperson explained, "After the transition period ended at the end of 2020, we conducted campaigns to inform about the regulation changes when visiting Europe."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.