Natasha Cochrane De La Rosa, 26, was born in London but has been left stranded in Spain after new UK border rules for dual nationals meant she was denied boarding on a flight back home
Natasha was due to fly from Amsterdam to Luton(Image: Natasha Cochrane De La Rosa / SWNS)
A British-born woman has been left stranded in Spain after falling foul of new UK border regulations that resulted in her being refused re-entry to the country.
Natasha Cochrane De La Rosa was barred from boarding a return flight from Amsterdam to Luton after spending a short holiday there with friends.
On her scheduled day of departure on April 6, the-26-year-old successfully passed through check-in, security and passport control, only to be turned away at the gate, she claimed.
The Home Office introduced updated regulations on February 25 stating that dual nationals can no longer enter the UK solely using a foreign passport.
They must now produce either a British or Irish passport or hold a digital certificate of entitlement.
Natasha was born and brought up in Islington, North London, and has a British father and Spanish mother.
As her parents were unmarried at the time of her birth, her father was unable to automatically pass on his citizenship, something Natasha says has placed her in a ‘grey area’, reports the Manchester Evening News.
She says that in order to return home, she must either pay £589 for a digital certificate of entitlement or apply for a British passport.
To do so, she explained she must ‘prove’ her mother held free movement rights across the EU at the time of her birth – documentation she says she never received.
Natasha, a client success manager who now lives in Haringey, North London, said: “I was born in Islington, I have paid taxes, I have voted. I am a dual national I do have British nationality but the government are saying none of that I have lived for 26 years matters anymore.”
Natasha is currently staying in Spain with a family friend, having booked a flight from Amsterdam to Seville after being unable to return to London.
“Luckily I am privileged enough to have a haven essentially but if I didn’t have any ties to my country, didn’t speak the language or have anywhere to stay I would have been left homeless in the Netherlands”, she said.
“I feel the government have failed and they have a responsibility to dual nationals and the population of the UK that such dramatic and important law changes are effectively communicated.
“People are commenting on my social media posts saying they would be in the same position as me if they had not come across my story. While I do take responsibility for not having checked, why would I check something that for 26 years of my life I’ve never had to do.
“The system is poorly designed and offers no support or understanding for citizens like myself who do not hit the check box but are still a British citizen.”
Natasha originally departed from Luton Airport on April 2, spending several days in Amsterdam on a holiday with friends.
On her scheduled return on April 6, she claims she was able to check in, pass through security and passport control and reached the gate of her homeward flight before being refused boarding.
She added: “They [the airline] called immigration on the phone basically were saying these new laws had come in. I was showing my birth certificate, my national insurance, my P45, my dad’s birth certificate and was still denied boarding as I had not got the right documentation.”
As her parents were unmarried at the time of her birth in 1999, Natasha’s father was unable to automatically pass on his citizenship.
She now faces two options: applying for a passport, which she fears could be rejected — as she claims there is no documentation confirming her mother held free movement rights — or paying in excess of £500 for a digital certificate of entitlement.
She added: “There was not documentation, not to my mother or anyone with free movement rights in the EU given to them by the government. How do we prove that now?
“To prove it we’re having to find HMRC documents or find anything that proves she was here legally. It was 26 and a bit years ago so it’s been a nightmare finding the documents.”
Natasha also revealed that following Brexit in 2021, her mother applied for settlement papers, as did her younger sister who was born in Spain, both of which were approved.
However, she claims she was informed she ‘didn’t qualify’ as she was already a British citizen. She added that she is currently unable to apply for the digital certificate of entitlement, as she still lacks the necessary documents from her mother – and has been advised the process could take a minimum of three to six months, or potentially up to a year, to resolve.
A Home Office 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. To prove citizenship and enter the UK legally, individuals can apply for a British passport or Certificate of Entitlement from abroad.
“Public information advising dual nationals to carry the correct documentation has been available since October 2024 and a substantive communications campaign about the introduction of ETA has been running since 2023. This requirement applies to all British citizens regardless of other nationality and is the same approach taken by other countries, including the United States, Canada and Australia.”
