THE government is “working hard” to resolve a “frustrating” situation which has seen some Islanders with settled status blocked from travelling as some international airport staff do not recognise their paperwork, the Home Affairs Minister has said.
Deputy Mary Le Hegarat has written to the UK Home Office after some were forced to pay extra to get express travel visas to be allowed to fly.
Following Brexit, EU, EEA and Swiss nationals living in Jersey had to apply for the Island’s EU Settlement Scheme in order to be allowed to continue to live and work in the Island.
Jersey’s systems are separate from the UK’s, which operates its own settlement scheme. However, some EU nationals have faced problems due to the paperwork they were carrying – which proved their entitlement to travel to the Island – not being recognised.
Deputy Le Hegarat said: “I have written to the UK Home Office to express my concern that lawful residents of Jersey are being wrongly denied boarding by carriers when returning to the Common Travel Area after trips abroad.
“I have asked the UK Government for assistance in resolving this issue, which I take very seriously, and which I know has caused considerable distress for those who have been affected.
“The issue affects residents of Jersey who are not British or Irish citizens. Airlines and ground handlers abroad are misinterpreting UK border requirements and wrongly denying boarding to Jersey residents who have the correct permission to travel. “
She added that the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man issue physical documents, rather than the electronic visas that were introduced in the UK. This, she said, had meant some passengers being “wrongly denied travel”.
We are working hard to resolve this,” the minister added. “The UK Home Office and the Jersey Customs and Immigration Service have contacted carriers and handling agents to make clear that Jersey-issued permissions are valid. This includes providing detailed instructions for airline staff and border partners.
“The Home Office has been engaging with carriers for a considerable time in advance of the Electronic Travel Authorisation rollout, and work has been done to make carriers aware that Jersey’s physical travel permissions remain valid.
“Where necessary, JCIS and the Home Office have engaged with specific handling agents or carriers to provide them with further reassurance and will continue to do so.”
Yesterday, a meeting was held between Jersey’s Honorary Polish Consul Magdalena Chmielewska and representatives from the External Relations Department and Customs.
The External Relations team are contacting all Honorary Consuls, to better understand the impact on their citizens and if necessary, enable the JCIS team to pinpoint engagement with specific airlines or airports,” Deputy Le Hegarat said.
“This is a frustrating, temporary situation.”
Digital permissions are expected to be available in the Crown Dependencies between June 2026 and early 2027.
