The new post-Brexit rules came into force on Wednesday
A group of British expats who arrived in Spain were immediately sent back to the UK after new post-Brexit measures, it has been reported.
Under the new rules, which came into force on Wednesday, second-home owners and tourists are not permitted to spend more than 90 days in the country without acquiring an identity card, namely the the TIE residency card.
Some 40 Brits arriving at Alicante-Elche airport yesterday were denied entry into Spain and were subsequently booked on a plane back to Manchester, where they departed from.
A sign in the terminal of Alicante-Elche terminal reportedly read: "No TIE card, no entry," the
Olive Press reported.
Rynair staff had reportedly told passengers that their current documentation would be enough to gain entry into Spain.
A 47-year-old passenger from Manchester, Stuart Miller, told the
Olive Press: "People with letters from Alicante Foreigners Office asking them to collect their residency cards were turned away...what more proof do you need of residency?
"There was no advice, no help and, to be fair, no good reason for us being turned back at Alicante."
Miller said there were armed police present to support custom officials.
Miller's wife, Caz, who accompanied her husband on the flight warned other members of the public from making the same mistake.
Speaking to the
Olive Press, she said: "Whatever paperwork you have with you, and whoever tells you that you're okay to travel, be prepared to be carted back on to the plane and sent back."
The British embassy in Madrid said in a statement that Britons planning to travel from the UK to Spain must ensure they meet all the criteria to exit the UK and gain entry into Spain.
A spokesperson for the embassy said: "Ultimately, the decision on whether to grant entry into Spain is made by Spanish border officials."
