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OLIVE PRESS
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Vol. 2 Issue 53 www.theolivepress.es April 8th - April 21th 2021
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‘Fury’ at Spanish airport as 40 Brits deported back to UK, while dozens are kicked off flight from Gatwick NEARLY all of the COVID-19 restrictions in the Valencian Community are expected to be renewed today (April 8) but there’s a chance that bars and restaurants could be allowed to stay open for longer. The current package of measures is due to expire this Monday. The region is the only one in Spain that is classified as ‘low risk’ for the spread of the coronavirus. Health Minister, Ana Barcelo (pictured), said: “We will analyse infection figures to see if there is any scope for making changes and that will include bars and restaurants.” The regional hospitality sector has a current closing time of 6 pm. Valencian officials will almost certainly extend the 10pm curfew and regional border closure until next month. They are both expected to run through till May 9, which is the end of the second national State of Alarm order.
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EXCLUSIVE By Simon Wade
DISAPPOINTED: Stuart Miller DOZENS of Brits arriving at Alicante airport have been refused entry to Spain and sent back to Manchester on the same plane despite having evidence that they had residence status. Border guards had erected a sign in the terminal stating, ‘NO TIE CARD, NO ENTRY’ to the amazement of travellers, some of whom were flying to Spain to collect their TIE cards. Some 40 people who had arrived from Manchester Airport were left upset, angry and confused - considering UK border officials AND airline staff had approved exit from the country. Stuart Miller, a 47-yearold offshore-worker
from Manchester, described the situation as ‘absolutely diabolical”. “Even travellers who had letters from Alicante Foreigners’ Office asking them to collect their residency cards were turned away,” Miller told the Olive Press. “I mean what more proof do you need of residency?” Some of the others sent back included a woman wanting to see her sick father, stranded and alone in hospital. So heavy handed was the arrivals desk that border agents were flanked by armed police, putting ‘the terror of God’ into those waiting to be questioned. “It appeared that only those who were actually on a list of legal residents, possibly checked in advance against the plane’s manifest, were allowed in,” said Miller. “The rest of us were sent back without even being able to explain our legitimate reasons.” As the 40 plus travellers re-boarded, the flight was subsequently delayed, adding further to tension in the cabin. Miller added: “There was no advice, no help and no good reason for us being turned back at Alicante.” Ryanair staff had assured every traveller that their documentation - including COVID tests, letters and passports - was sufficient to gain entry into Spain. Mr Miller’s wife, Caz, warned other travellers: “Whatever paperwork you have with you, and whoever tells you that you’re okay to travel, be pre-
DIABOLICAL: Brits were turned away by Spanish authorities pared to be carted back on to the plane and sent back. “I think the airport policy depends on nothing more than the mood of the officials at the border.” Since the incident, other Brits travelling from UK airports to Spain have been subjected to ‘arbitrary rules made up on behalf of another country’, according to one Olive Press reader. One expat based in Rincon de la Victoria, near Malaga, told the Olive Press that a ‘staggering dozen or so passengers’ were refused to board his flight from Gatwick to Malaga yesterday (Monday). The retired businessman, 60, who asked not to be named, described it as ‘running the gauntlet’. “It was so traumatic. You just had no idea who was going to be allowed on. “Everyone turned away had valid PCR tests or they had valid reasons to travel, whether to see ailing relatives or to secure or visit their properties,” he said.
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Meanwhile, a retired IT professional described how he was turned away from boarding a Ryanair flight to Alicante at Manchester on Monday. He had specifically checked the gov.uk website to check that buying a property was one of the ‘reasonable excuses’ for travel to Spain. He described how he and six others were turned away at the gate because they weren’t in possession of a TIE card, regardless of their reason for travel. “Ryanair staff had made the arbitrary decision to deny their passengers travel on behalf of the Spanish authorities,” said the 63-year-old who only wanted to be identified by his first name Alec. He claimed that staff had ‘no intention’ of engaging in any conversation and couldn’t back up or justify their own ruling with any evidence in print or online. Others refused on board the FR4007 included a woman with Italian citizenship who was travelling back to her family home in Spain. Embassy And a married couple, where the husband had the TIE card, but not his wife. “It is crucial that when making plans to travel from the UK to Spain, a UK National must make sure that they meet both the requirements to leave the UK and those to enter Spain, bearing in mind that they are not the same,” said a statement from the Embassy in Madrid. Opinion Page 6