Tag Archives: emigration

New UK Border Regulations display contemptuous disregard for dual nationals

By Edward Vickers | Mon 23rd February 2026 - 1:55 pm

In mid February, UK dual nationals were alerted by media reports to an imminent change in immigration regulations. This involves the requirement that dual nationals present their UK passport at the overseas airline check-in desk before boarding any flight to the UK, or that they present (alongside their foreign passport) a ‘Certificate of Entitlement’ to Right of Abode in the UK, priced at a whopping £589.

This deeply concerns many of us in Liberal Democrats Overseas, and we expect the Party to speak out loudly and forcefully on this matter. Will Forster MP, our shadow immigration and asylum minister, has rightly condemned the government’s ‘lack of planning and haphazard communication’ and has called for a ‘grace period’ to enable dual nationals to obtain the necessary documentation. But while a grace period would certainly be welcome, it is not enough. This latest kick in the teeth for dual nationals fits a pattern of contempt for Britons with multinational families on the part of both Labour and Tory governments. Liberal Democrats must stand up for the rights and dignity of all British citizens, whatever their family circumstances.

The core issue in this instance is not the timing of the new immigration measures or the poor publicity. It is the imposition of a £589 charge on dual nationals simply so that they can demonstrate their Right of Abode in the UK (without applying for a UK passport). The cost of a full UK passport currently stands at £95. The government has provided no justification for the exorbitant cost of the ‘Certificate’. This is clearly just one more crude attempt to put the squeeze on overseas British nationals with international family ties; another being the expensive and Kafkaesque regulations surrounding spouse visas.

For those dual nationals who do hold a UK passport, the requirement to show it at an airline check-in desk before flying to the UK is potentially perilous. Many UK dual nationals hold the citizenship of and reside in countries where dual nationality is illegal. Compelling those who hold UK passports to show them at the airport check-in desk could expose them to arrest and prosecution – simply for holding a document to which they are entitled under UK law. Consider, for example, the risks faced by a British-Iranian dual national visiting Tehran who would now be required to show their British passport at airport check-in there in order to re-enter the UK.

Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged border control, home office, immigration and passports | 7 Comments

Free movement: UK arrivals and departures

By David Wilson | Fri 21st June 2019 - 11:55 am

In an increasingly interdependent world UK public policy should acknowledge international mobility and diversity as a permanent social trend

Many people who’ve lived in Britain all their lives dream of winning the National Lottery and being able to move away to some sun-kissed paradise overseas. Brits routinely holiday abroad and migration, whether short-term or long-term, is common.

Most of us, however, continue to live in a country where we can enjoy beautiful countryside and coastline, historic buildings, a varied arts and culture scene, and a tradition of volunteering and community support groups. The population of the UK is generally tolerant and easy-going, happy to share these good things with people from other countries. That said, the media keeps telling us that since Brexit there has been growing xenophobia and resentment towards foreign nationals in Britain.

Yet in spite of social and political reserve in some quarters towards foreigners, many people do want to come and live here. The Migration Statistics Quarterly Report (MSQR) of the Office of National Statistics (ONS) notes that in the year ending June 2017 immigration to the UK was 572,000 (down 80,000 since June 2016) and emigration was 342,000 (up 26,000). To quote the report: “overall, more people are still coming to live in the UK than are leaving and therefore net migration is adding to the UK population.”

So, what really attracts them to the UK?

In their recent study, Buying into Myths: Free Movement of People and Immigration 2016, Eiko Thielemann and Daniel Schade have suggested that migration flows between EU countries including Britain have been largely the result of high levels of unemployment in southern Europe and poor labour market conditions in Eastern European countries. Unemployment rates in the UK have been low compared to such countries. And when you don’t have work, one obvious option is to move somewhere else to look for a job.

Vasileva first came to Britain from her native Bulgaria in June 2008 She’s now forty-something-years-old, is raising a family, and has lived in York for almost ten years. She has a permanent job as an office manager with an international training company. Vasileva says she enjoys the cosmopolitan feel of this country, the chance to share meals and conversation with people from all over the world. She loves the sense of community and support, and “people realising the value of these things.”

Something that native monolingual Brits find incredibly hard to understand is that many people come to study, live and work here simply because they know that the best way to learn a language is to come to the country where it is spoken. There is a global hunger for learning English, and with this there is often a natural curiosity to learn about the culture that lies behind the language. Take Céline, for instance. She’s a 32-year-old French teacher who has also lived in the north of England for just under ten years. “I love speaking English every day, and sharing my passion for languages with my students and the children in school.” She loves the kindness she has experienced here as well as the British sense of humour.

Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged brexit, free movement and immigration | 21 Comments