New passport rules could see Brit children born abroad denied entry to the UK

A new rule change set to come in next week could see British children who are born overseas being denied entry into the UK.

From 25 February, new passport rules mean British dual citizens will be required to have a British passport when travelling into the UK, or pay £589 for a 'certificate of entitlement.'

Many expat families are now being forced to change their travel plans over fears their children will be stopped at the border, despite having travelled into the UK many times before using the passport from their birth country.

While some adult dual citizens are taking the step to denounce their British citizenship in a bid to avoid the expensive inconvenience, you need to be aged 18 or older to be able to do this, leaving children and babies without a choice.

Dual British citizen children and babies could be refused entry to the UK (Getty Stock Images)

British dual citizens are not allowed to apply for an electronic travel authorisation like foreign citizens, which is a new scheme allowing visitors to enter the UK for up to six months for the bargain price of just £16.

This has understandably angered some families, who will be forced to cancel their visit or shell out hundreds to provide passports for multiple children.

One family, who are British but have lived in New Zealand since before the birth of their 10-month-old son, have been left in limbo after being told the child could be 'turned back at the border.'

Speaking to The Times, the baby's grandmother said: "He can’t reject the option of claiming citizenship until he’s 18. We’ve sent off an application with all the documentation requested, but have received a reply saying ‘you need to send his NZ passport as well’. We’re not going to do that because then he certainly won’t be able to travel, with no passport at all.

It's said the move makes dual citizens 'second class citizens' (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

"We’ve tried phoning the Home Office in the UK, but they don’t have lines that deal with this — only lost or stolen passports. We’ve been to the High Commission here in Wellington and were told to go away [because] they don’t deal with this. We don’t know what else to do."

Meanwhile, Mark Stocker, a dual British and New Zealand citizen, is among those choosing to give up his British citizenship over the new rules, saying it makes them 'second class citizens.'

The Home Office said confirmed the new rules will indeed apply to children and babies, adding that border force will have the 'discretion' over whether to let them in.