‘How can one of my twin children be told they’re British and the other one not?’
A father remains separated from his three children after only one of them was successful in securing a passport. Carl Wylie, 40, migrated from Gateshead to South Africa in 2020, where he married his wife Zandile, 31. The couple have three children – twin daughters Harley and Holly, aged four, and Freddie, aged one.
However, following job redundancy as a data analyst in March this year, Carl returned to Gateshead to earn a living for his family. This resulted in the family having to vacate their Cape Town dwelling, compelling Zandile and their children to temporarily reside with a relative in Soweto, a region in South Africa known for its unsafe surroundings. In a bid to unite his family in the UK, Carl filed British passport applications for all three of his children.
Regrettably, the passport office issued a passport solely for Harley while denying his other two offspring, reports Chronicle Live[2]. The Felling native has been left puzzled by the seemingly irrational decision. He protested: “How can one twin child be British and the other one not?
It’s the lack of common sense that’s very frustrating. I have been on the phone to them 40 times easily.
Carl Wylie with his wife Zandile and their three children (Image: Chronicle Live)
“It’s hard, it’s very distressing being apart from them. It’s affected them greatly because their father’s not with them.
They’re trying to understand why their father’s not with them. This has made me cry too many times.” Carl revealed that the regulations in South Africa make it difficult for him to remain there.
Unable to secure his own bank account or mobile phone sim card, he has had to depend on Zandile, a local resident, to handle everything. The father of three started the process of applying for British passports for his children back in October of the previous year. Despite originally sending copies of the necessary birth certificates instead of the originals, he later dispatched the proper documents.
Despite clarifying that he now resided in the UK, the birth certificates were returned by the passport office to the family’s previous home in Cape Town, where they no longer resided. After lodging a complaint, he successfully received the returned paperwork.
Carl Wylie’s three children are currently in South Africa (Image: Chronicle Live)
To his astonishment, however, Carl was sent one passport for Harley but none for his other two children. The oversight resulted in a prolonged separation from his wife and kids, who have been living without electricity in Soweto for an extended period of nine days.
He has been requested to resubmit the applications by the passport office. With a strong desire to reunite with his family, Carl paid a visit to London and submitted applications for South African passports for his children. In his words: “I’m trying to get both passports for them.
It’s a case of first come first serve. “Currently I’m staying at my mother’s at the minute. Once we have confirmation that they are coming over I will be looking for a place to rent.
We’ll be in the Gateshead area surrounded by family. “My mother has only met the twins once, when they were one years old, and she is yet to meet my son Freddie. He’s named after my grandfather.”
A spokesperson from the Home Office stated: “We are in contact with the family to ensure they receive the support and direction they require regarding the applications.
We apologise for any inconvenience caused.”
References
- ^ M60 police ‘thankful not to be hurt’ in incident on motorway as driver prosecuted (www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk)
- ^ Chronicle Live (www.chroniclelive.co.uk)