Parents With Different Surnames To Their Kids Urged To Bring Birth Certificates To Airport
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Parents who have different names to their children are being advised to bring birth or adoption certificates to the airport with them when they travel on holiday.
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Families with different names will be asked to prove their relationship with children in a bid to deter child trafficking.
The Home Office made the warning in a tweet that read: "If your family has different surnames, please bring birth or adoption certificates to help get through passport control quicker.
"We have a duty to safeguard children and to prevent people trafficking, child sexual exploitation and other crimes. That is why Border Force officers sometimes need to ask additional questions."
If your family has different surnames, please bring birth or adoption certificates to help get through passport control quicker. https://t.co/7l1Y7ngeCP #fasteruktravel pic.twitter.com/OwHeR72SXs
- Home Office (@ukhomeoffice) August 1, 2018
Further guidelines are provided on the Home Office's website, explaining that bringing along the necessary details will save the family from delays and will be carried out "as quickly as possible."
The guidelines read: "If you are travelling with a child (under 18) and are not the child's parent, or may appear not to be the parent (for example, if you have a different family name), we may ask you a few questions to establish your relationship with the child.
"We hope you appreciate the importance of the additional checks we carry out for children travelling into the UK and understand the reasons for them should you feel you have been unduly delayed.
"It may help you next time you travel if you could carry evidence of your relationship with the child and/or the reason why you are travelling with the child."
I am fundamentally against this. My husband and I have different surnames. And our son bears my husband's. Not unusual for parents to have different surnames in the 21st Century. Appalling stuff by @sajidjavid and the Home Office.
- Katherine Mendelsohn (@Katheri48033429) August 2, 2018
Not everyone is happy about the new guidelines, with one frustrated parent tweeting: "Seriously? I am not taking my entire family's birth certificates with me every time we go abroad.
"What exactly is it that you are trying to establish? Surely all that matters is that we have valid travel documents?"
Seriously? I am not taking my entire family's birth certificates with me every time we go abroad. What exactly is it that you are trying to establish? Surely all that matters is that we have valid travel documents?
- Cathy Hume (@cathyhume) August 2, 2018
Another fumed: "I am fundamentally against this. My husband and I have different surnames.
"And our son bears my husband's. Not unusual for parents to have different surnames in the 21st Century. Appalling stuff by @sajidjavid and the Home Office."