British Couple Stuck In Ukraine Waiting For Surrogate Baby’s Documents

A British couple are stuck in Ukraine while they wait for their surrogate-born baby’s travel documents. 

The UK Government has told Brits to leave Ukraine immediately amid growing concerns that Russia is set to invade. 

Ben Garratt, 40, and his wife Alice, live in London, but moved out to Kyiv in December, where their son was born.

The couple arranged for Raphael to be born in Ukraine to take advantage of the country's laws which allow a swifter IVF and surrogacy process.

Garratt, who works for London North Eastern Railway, said he and his wife are growing increasingly worried after the Foreign Office updated its advice on Friday evening (11 February) to encourage UK nationals to leave.

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He told the PA news agency: “It does add to our worry, we’re thinking about basic things that we need to do to make sure that we’re ready to leave as soon as possible.

“If we take the advice at face value, it means the UK and also the US government are worried that Russian action is imminent – that makes us want to get out.”

The couple, who were originally waiting for a British passport for Raphael, are now trying to secure an emergency travel document.

“We’re essentially stuck in Ukraine until we can get the required British paperwork to allow our son born here to leave,” Garratt said.

“When we first arrived, that means getting him a British passport but given the current situation, it means getting him an emergency travel document.

“It’s getting frustrating because we’re being told by the UK Government to leave the country… and we still don’t have the document we need.”

Garratt is due to have an interview at the passport office next week to provide proof of his son’s British citizenship.

“They want to do a two-hour phone interview with me, but that’s not until Wednesday,” he said.

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“It is bizarre, but I think it’s based around the normal assumption that the people applying for an emergency travel document, perhaps, are already definitely British and maybe they’ve just lost their passport somewhere, as opposed to being a newborn baby who needs to go through that process.”

Despite the anxiety surrounding their son’s travel documents, the couple maintain life in Kyiv remains 'normal'.

“All we know, just what we see from taking Rafi for a walk every day, everything seems normal,” Mr Garratt said.

“There’s tourists outside the churches and cathedrals taking photos – it’s feels very normal out there.

“But I don’t know what abnormal in a big city like this would feel like.”