March 29, 2024, 07:40:28 AM

Author Topic: Born in T&T, British High Commissioner's baby son was denied UK passport  (Read 1159 times)

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British High Commissioner's baby son denied a UK passport after being born in Trinidad
The Independent


The baby son of a former British High Commissioner was denied a UK passport after he was born in a Caribbean state where his father was in post.

Former UK diplomat Arthur Snell, who served as British High Commissioner to Trinidad and Tobago from 2011 to 2014, said he was left feeling “powerless and nervous” after the Home Office refused to grant his newborn son a passport in 2011.

He said it resulted in his child being rendered “stateless” as he was ineligible for Trinidadian citizenship.

While Mr Snell said he was able to “quickly resolve” the issue, he said it illustrated a “cultural priority within the Home Office to reject wherever possible” – highlighting that, as a white diplomat, he was easily able to resolve the problem where many others can’t.

“What it showed me was that the Home Office tends to default to no as an answer because of the hostile policies. It seems they want to make it as difficult as possible for someone to be British – like that’s almost the mission statement,” Mr Snell told The Independent.


 

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