A nine-year-old boy born and raised in Wales has been left stranded overseas after UK border officials refused to let him board a flight home — saying they had no record of him living in the country.
David Toropu, from Cardiff, is currently stuck in Romania with his mother after the shocking travel disruption turned what was meant to be a simple family trip into a nightmare.
The young boy had travelled with his mum, Christina, her husband and stepson to Venice for a rugby tour during the Easter holidays. After spending four nights in Italy, the family headed to Milan’s international airport on April 2 to catch their flight back to London, Gatwick.
But instead of a routine check-in, airport officials informed them that David could not board the flight because U.K. border systems showed no evidence that he was a resident of the U.K.
The situation stunned his family — especially because David was born in Cardiff and has spent his entire life living in Wales.
Although David grew up in the U.K., he holds a Romanian passport because both his parents are Romanian nationals. His father has settled status in the U.K., while his mother has pre-settled status.
Christina explained that she believed her son automatically qualified for British citizenship because he was born in 2016 after the family had already lived in the U.K. for seven continuous years.
“I thought it was automatic,” she said. “So I assumed he would already have British citizenship and wouldn’t need his own settled or pre-settled status. I didn’t realise the rules had changed after Brexit.”
When officials refused David entry, Christina stayed behind with him while her husband and stepson returned to the U.K. so the child could go back to school and he could resume work. After spending two extra nights in Italy, mother and son travelled to Romania to stay with relatives while they try to resolve the issue.
Christina said the experience has been deeply traumatic for both of them.
“The U.K. border said they had no record of David ever being in the country,” she said. “But he goes to school there, he’s registered with a GP, he plays football — his whole life is in the U.K..”
She added that her son overheard the conversation at the airport and became frightened he might be separated from her.
“Since he was refused entry, I’ve had multiple panic attacks,” she said. “He kept asking what would happen to him and whether they were going to send me back to the U.K. without him.”
Christina attempted to solve the problem at the airport by applying for an electronic travel authorisation (ETA), but immigration officials said it could not be used because David’s registered home address is in the U.K.
The ordeal has also been expensive. Christina says the family has already spent around £2,000 on extra flights, hotels and applications in less than a week. Her stepson’s rugby team has since started a GoFundMe campaign to help with the unexpected costs.
David’s Member of Parliament, Alex Davies-Jones, said she is now working with the family to resolve the situation.
“This is clearly a very distressing experience for both David and his mum,” she said. “My office is doing everything we can to help bring David home safely as quickly as possible.”
The incident comes after the U.K. government introduced a new travel system earlier this year requiring many dual nationals entering the country to show either a British passport or a digital certificate proving their right to live in the U.K.
Previously, dual nationals could travel using a non-British passport without additional proof. But under the new rules, failing to provide the required documents could lead to being denied entry.
A spokesperson for the Home Office later confirmed that the necessary documentation has now been granted to allow David to return home.
