An eight-month-old British baby has been stranded abroad since birth, and his family split between two continents and his mother unable to take up a job tackling coronavirus, because of repeated delays and U-turns by the Home Office in processing his passport application. Some passport applicants are required to attend face-to-face interviews but these have been suspended during the pandemic. The family were repeatedly told that although a face-to-face interview was required it could take place via Skype instead. However, officials then backtracked and said this would not be possible. Briton Richard Hamilton and his Indian wife, Priya Jacob, have two children, Joy, aged three, and Jacob, eight months. The couple, who live in Hampshire, are senior humanitarian aid workers and travel to postings around the world. Priya Jacob has been offered a job as regional project director for Asia for the Danish Refugee Council. Her role, which will be based in Myanmar, includes managing the Covid response in Rohingya refugee camps and overseeing a de-mining project. The couple applied for Jacob’s passport in February. After seven months, 67 emails, 16 calls to the passport helpline, five letters to Hamilton’s MP, Damian Hinds, and two to the home secretary, Priti Patel, the matter has still not been resolved. Joy’s passport was processed in weeks even though the family were based abroad at the time. Priya Jacob is in India, where Jacob was born, with both children. Hamilton returned to the UK a few months ago to support his mother during cancer treatment and to await the Home Office interview to secure Jacob’s passport. The baby cannot leave India because the Home Office has so far failed to provide him with a passport so the family is unable to relocate to Myanmar.
Despite undergoing an initial interview in February and submitting more than 30 supporting documents requested by the Home Office, including a pregnancy scan and hospital antenatal notes, the matter remains unresolved. The couple are worried that the delays could lead to Priya Jacobs’ job offer being withdrawn. In an email on 7 August officials said Hamilton had been given the wrong information that a Skype interview would be possible and that no online interview could take place. Hamilton also received three separate apologies from Home Office officials. “I cannot apologise enough for the varied and conflicting advice you have received. It appears there has been a misunderstanding in how your application can proceed,” said one. He has since been told that a Skype interview can take place. Hamilton said they were getting increasingly desperate about not having a passport for Jacob: “The baby can’t travel, I’m in the UK, Priya and the children are in India and this has prevented us from reuniting as a family. It has become a really most distressing situation.” A Home Office spokesperson said: “During this unprecedented global public health emergency we have prioritised urgent and compassionate cases and are now working hard to get back to full capacity at our normal processing sites as soon as we are able to, in line with public health guidance. Throughout this time we have, where possible, explored alternative means to allow customers to complete their applications, but these are not always applicable to every case.”