Woman’s Frustration as Passport Doesn’t Make The Cut
An Indian woman was left bewildered after being barred from a two week holiday to England with her British husband because her passport had insufficient space.
45-year-old Thingngamchon Arthur who lives in Delhi with her 47-year-old husband Findlay Kember, tells how immigration officials refused her entry into the UK as her passport did not have two back-to-back blank passport pages in which a visa could be inserted.
She states she has had no problems when travelling before, especially after moving to India in 2007. The gov.uk website outlines the documents needed in a “family visitor visa” stating, “You’ll need to have a blank page in your passport on which to put the visa.”
A Home Office spokeswoman said, “Our guidance on applying for a UK visa clearly states that visa applicants need a page that is blank on both sides.”
Ms Arthur said, “I’m lost for words.”
“The official reason for denial was that I do not have two back-to-back blank pages in my passport – although I do have consecutive blank pages.
“I simply don’t understand. The official UK government website plainly says you need to have a ‘blank page’ in your passport on which to put the visa.”
She added, “I’ve been to England several times with Findlay to visit his family. I’ve never had a problem before. I wasn’t going to claim asylum. I wasn’t going to be a burden to the welfare state.
“On the contrary, I was planning to boost the UK economy by doing a lot of shopping and spending some money.
“We were going to visit Findlay’s relatives who live near Cambridge and near Shrewsbury. One was having a big birthday party – which I’ve missed.
“I’m bewildered and angry.”
Mr. Kember supports his wife and is reaching out to Conservative MP Andrew Lansley, who represents one of his relatives. He said,
“What we’re concerned about is that there will be some note on the file which will lead to her having more problems in future,”
“This needs to be sorted out. The decision makes no sense. We wonder if anyone else has had similar problems.”
“You’d think the UK immigration authorities would have enough to worry about at the moment with other priorities, without preventing my wife from visiting my family
