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WORLD NEWS Monday 4 January 2021
Britons flying home to Spain caught in post-Brexit red tape

By ARITZ PARRA by the Italian and German
Associated Press governments, respectively.
MADRID (AP) — Blame CO- Matt Bristow, a spokesman
VID-19 travel restrictions for the British in Germany
or Brexit but whatever the association of residents in
cause, some British citi- that country, said: “This ap-
zens trying to return to their pears to be a case of U.K.
homes in several European airport staff not knowing
countries this weekend what documents to ac-
have been barred from cept or applying the rules
boarding flights. more stringently than the
Airlines refused documents German border police
that before Brexit had would.”
been valid proof of the Brit- Spain has been rolling out a
ons’ status as residents in new system to register per-
Spain, Italy and Germany, manent foreign residents
although Spanish authori- called TIE but it’s suffering
ties claimed that the issue a backlog due to the high
had been resolved by mid- number of requests. Au-
Sunday. thorities told AP that proof
Their ordeal came amid of application for the TIE
heightened travel restric- and the “green certificate”
tions due to a coronavi- for EU citizens were still valid
rus variant that has been British travelers returning to their homes in Spain wait to speak to airline staff after they were refused to travel for British residents
entry onto planes, at London’s Heathrow airport on Saturday Jan. 2, 2021.
blamed for faster conta- Associated Press under the new health re-
gion in the U.K. and high- strictions in place until Jan.
lights the bureaucratic Iberia said in a statement four years, was among a us,” she said. Referring to 19.
complexities resulting from late Sunday that a commu- group of at least nine peo- the airlines and authorities “This should not be happen-
Britain’s departure from the nication from Spain’s bor- ple unable to board a Ma- in both countries, she add- ing,” said the U.K. embassy
27-nation European Union. der police on Jan. 1 had drid-bound BA/Iberia flight ed: “It’s horrendous and in Spain said in a Facebook
Both Spanish and British au- created “some confusion” from London’s Heathrow we are suffering because post.
thorities said Sunday that and that it was later clari- Airport on Saturday. of their incompetence.” “The Spanish authorities
the green-colored certifi- fied. British Airways didn’t Moody said she and her Following the discovery of have today re-confirmed
cate of EU citizenship with a immediately respond to re- husband, who she says the coronavirus variant in that the green residency
foreign national identifica- quests for comment. needs to see his doctor the U.K., many European document will be accept-
tion number issued by Spain Around 300,000 British citi- back in Spain, have spent nations have banned all ed for travel to return to
is still valid for British citizens zens are registered as per- 1,900 pounds ($2,600) on travel from the British isles Spain, as stated in our trav-
residing in Spain under the manent residents in Spain, getting tested for the virus, except for their own na- el advice.”
bilateral provisions that fol- although before Brexit, traveling to the airport and tionals and U.K. citizens with But Sam Dakin, a 32-year-
lowed the U.K.’s withdrawal many more had been liv- booking new tickets after residency rights. old English-language
from the bloc on Dec. 31. ing full or part-time in the they were refused board- Travelers to Pisa, Italy, and teacher based in Barce-
But the travelers say British country without officially ing. Their second attempt Berlin have also reported lona for the last four years,
Airways and Iberia, which registering. was also futile. similar hurdles in board- and his partner, who has
are part of the IAG group, Patricia Moody, a 69-year- “Throughout all the months ing planes operated by been in the Spanish city for
have been refusing to let old retiree who has called of negotiating Brexit, we Ryanair and Lufthansa de- 8 years, said they needed
them board for the past the southern Spanish town were always assured that spite carrying documents more assurances before
two days. of Zurgena home for nearly nothing would change for that had been accepted they could rebook flights.q

Israeli prosecutors spell out allegations against Netanyahu

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli company in exchange for Netanyahu and his family,
prosecutors on Sunday positive coverage on its changing headlines and
released an amended popular Walla news site. lowering or even removing
indictment spelling out In response to a request unfavorable stories. It also
detailed charges against from Netanyahu’s lawyers included alleged requests
Prime Minister Benjamin for more details, Israeli for negative coverage of
Netanyahu in a corrup- prosecutors released a let- Netanyahu’s rivals.
tion case in which he is ter Sunday alleging there The document listed all
accused of trading favors had been 315 incidents of 315 suspected incidents,
with a powerful media Walla being requested to which allegedly included
mogul. Netanyahu has make its coverage more numerous requests to pub-
been charged with fraud, favorable for Netanyahu lish flattering articles and
breach of trust and ac- and his family. They said photos of Netanyahu’s In this Dec. 22, 2020 file photo, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
cepting bribes in three there were indications wife Sara, to conceal re- Netanyahu delivers a statement at the Israeli Knesset, or
corruption cases. One of that Netanyahu was per- ports of embarrassing ex- Parliament, in Jerusalem.
them alleges that Netan- sonally involved in 150 of penditures and personal Associated Press
yahu promoted regula- those incidents. It said the information about the controlling shareholder at prove lucrative business
tions worth hundreds of mil- requests included giving Netanyahu family and at- the time, Shaul Elovitch, as deals for the company
lions of dollars to the own- more time or prominence tempts to embarrass his expressing concerns that if negative articles were
er of the Bezeq telecom to positive articles about rivals. It quoted Bezeq’s Netanyahu would not ap- published.q