‘Ryanair refused to let us on’: how a couple who’ve lived in UK for 80 years got stuck in Krakow
Summary
An elderly Polish couple who have lived in the UK for nearly 80 years were stopped from boarding a Ryanair flight back to the UK because they lacked new post-Brexit travel documents. Despite their long history in the UK and their families’ war service, they were told they needed special paperwork under current rules to return.Key Facts
- Maria Krupa (85) and Czeslaw Krupa (92) are Polish citizens who settled in the UK after World War II.
- They traveled to Poland in May and were not allowed to return on a Ryanair flight because they had no proof of the right to live in the UK or the required Electronic Travel Authorisation.
- The Krupas were originally welcomed as refugees after the war and have lived in Bury, Greater Manchester, for about 80 years.
- Czeslaw served in a Polish army allied with the British during World War II against Nazi Germany.
- Ryanair said they could face a large fine for carrying passengers without the new required documentation.
- The couple’s situation is part of a wider issue affecting many elderly EU citizens and refugees who were previously allowed free movement but now need paperwork due to Brexit.
- The charity Settled assists people with these problems and reports thousands of similar cases, mostly involving older people with British families.
- Many affected individuals never applied for official status or passports because they did not expect their residence rights to change after so many years.
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