Expat Couple Separated at Barcelona Airport Due to New Brexit Rules

A NORTHERN IRISH expat couple have spoken of their ordeal of being separated in Barcelona airport due to new Brexit rules.

Lucy and Adam Montgomery told Belfast Live that they had been living in Barcelona for several years and both possessed NIE numbers in Spain.

Returning from a Christmas visit to family in Northern Ireland, the couple flew back to the Catalan capital via Manchester. Upon arriving at Barcelona airport, they described a commotion the moment the plane landed with border officials urging passengers to immediately take out their passports.

The plane was divided into three lines for Spanish, EU, and British citizens. The Brits were quizzed about their residency permits by border police, who told Lucy she would not be permitted to enter the country as her TIE (registration number for non-EU citizens) documents were still being processed.

She showed the police tax statements, proof of address, and other evidence that she was a resident of Spain to no avail. As her husband Adam already had a TIE number, he was permitted to enter the country. Because the couple has two dogs in Barcelona, the couple was forced to separate as Lucy flew back to the UK and Adam went to their Spanish home.

As Lucy was unable even to claim her luggage, she and Adam had to scramble to exchange essential items such as medicine before they were separated. The case has highlighted the post-Brexit confusion faced by many British expats living in Spain, as overnight changes to the law brought in over the new year have caused widespread travel issues.

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