Brit mum left ‘traumatised’ as family are held ‘like criminals’ in Turkey & lose out on £6k holiday after key mistake
The mum said she and her son were locked in a room for 13 hours
A MUM-of-one has been left humiliated and traumatised after a simple mistake meant she and her family missed out on a £6k holiday.
Amber Maherloughnan, from Lewes, East Sussex, said she and her family were “held like criminals” after officials in Turkey noticed her son’s passport had expired.
The 28-year-old said she and her son, whose passport expired in April this year, had their documents “snatched” and were detained for nearly 24 hours with several other people.
Sharing details of the ordeal on Facebook, the mum claimed she and her son were only provided with a rotten tomato and egg which was kicked at them, and had to share a single “disgusting” toilet with 12 people.
Amber’s fiancé, Will Land-Smith, 31, tried to get a temporary travel document from the Turkish embassy.
However, Amber and her son Reuben were turned away and had to catch a flight back to London, missing out on their week-long holiday.
Amber said: “It was horrible. I don’t want pity for myself. It was my fault.
“But the way I was treated with a child wasn’t fair. That’s the bit that got me the most. And how easily done it can be.
“I should never have been flown through. It was an oversight.”
‘TREATED LIKE A CRIMINAL’
Speaking about her experience, Amber said: “The officer went through our passports and said that it was all fine.
“He saw my son’s and just started shouting and saying, ‘the police are being called. Your passports expired and you won’t be allowed into the country’.
“I was shocked. I said, ‘I’m so sorry, I don’t know what to do’. I was absolutely terrified. I didn’t know what was going to happen.”
The mum said she and her son were treated like criminals for her simple mistake.
She said: “They took me into an office with four officers and said ‘you’re not allowed into the country, there’s nothing you can do’.
“They tried to get me to sign this paperwork and snatched the passports out of my hands, they wouldn’t give them to me.
“Then they locked me in a room for 13 hours without what I’d call food. They put a rotten tomato and an egg in a box and kicked it across to me.
“They gave me one bottle of water for myself and my son. At one point there were 13 of us in this room. They treated me like a criminal.”
Amber’s partner Will had to leave the airport and contacted the Turkish embassy to try and secure a temporary travel document.
She said: “They said that even if we got a document they wouldn’t let us in now.
“The only flight I could get on was the next day at 3pm. They wouldn’t tell me when it was or where it was.
“It was just awful. It came round to the next day and they wouldn’t tell me what flight it was.”
She added: “I’m going there as a family to spend money on things to support their country and I’m treated in such a bad way.
“It’s just sad. I’m basically a tourist and my son and I were treated like that. It was the thought of him going through it all.
“Luckily, he was amazing. It was not nice for him at all.”
‘NEVER AGAIN’
Amber said the experience had left her feeling like she had ruined “everything”.
She said: “It’s ruined our whole holiday financially. We had to book separately for another flight home.
“It’s been quite traumatic and upsetting and I just feel like I’ve ruined everything.
“I will never do that again in my lifetime. I will be extra careful.”
The UK Government website states that if you are visiting Turkey, your passport “must be valid for at least 150 days from the date you arrive”.
The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs states on its website that visitors are “kindly advised to have a travel document/passport valid for at least six months as from the date of your arrival in Turkey”.
A Gatwick Airport spokesperson said: “The airport is not involved in this process – it is for the airlines and passengers to ensure their passports are up to date.”
The Sun has contacted SunExpress airline for comment.
PASSPORT ADVICE
Amber’s passport ordeal acts as a reminder for Brits to renew their passports before booking any overseas holidays.
The UK passport office has previously warned that “during busy times, including the run-up to Christmas and school holidays, waiting times can be longer”.
Last year families were waiting as long as 10 weeks to get their passports back in time for their holidays.
Brits who need a new passport are advised that now is the best time to apply, especially since some countries require you to have at least three months left on your passport by the date you intend to return home.
Other countries require you to have six months remaining on your passport.
The second thing Brits should check their passport for is the start date or ‘date of issue’.
This is because new rules no longer allow Brits to have passports that have more than 10 years left on them.
Previously, UK passport holders could roll over up to nine months from their previous documents but these are no longer valid, meaning the expiry date may not be the real expiry date.
Renewing your passport can be done online or via a paper form at the Post Office.
Passport renewals cost £88.50 online, and £100 if you apply by paper form.
Kids’ passports cost £57.50 and £69 by post.
If you need a new passport urgently, you can apply for a Fast Track Renewal.
This costs £207 for a one-day premium.
A one-week fast track service costs £166.50 for adults and £135.50 for a child.
Passport rules
Everything you need to know about passports
- Whether you need a passport to fly within the UK
- This is who can countersign a passport application
- How long a child’s first passport can last and cost
- A biometric passport explained
- How to renew a passport
- How to get fast-track passport renewal
- The new blue British passports explained
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