When dual nationality leads to double trouble | Letters

2026-02-18 - 18:23

After 32 years of working in the UK, Prof Carine Ronsmans will now be required to pay £589 to return there after visiting her native Belgium. Plus letters from Michael Bulley, Reini Schühle, Dr Michael Paraskos and Dr Peter R King The new border controls being introduced for dual nationals create anomalies that will surprise no one who has followed recent Home Office policy changes (Dual nationals to be denied entry to UK from 25 February unless they have British passport, 13 February). At worst they are cruel; at best they are exploitative money-making exercises, unthought out, or the bureaucratic consequence of the introduction of digitisation. I, a Belgian citizen, have worked in the UK for 32 years. My “settled status” now allows me to travel freely between the UK and Belgium using my EU passport. A few years ago, I applied for British citizenship because I was uncertain whether my “entitlement” to live and work in the UK would be maintained after Brexit, and because I wanted to vote in the UK. I have not yet applied for a British passport because I would have to submit my Belgian one for an unknown length of time, which might prevent me from visiting my ailing 96-year-old father in Brussels. Continue reading...