After only one of Carl Wylie’s three children successfully obtained a passport, he remains separated from his family. In 2020, Carl, 40, moved from Gateshead to South Africa, where he married his wife Zandile, 31. They have three children: twins Harley and Holly, both four years old, and one-year-old Freddie.
However, after losing his job as a data analyst in March of this year, Carl had to return to Gateshead to support his family. This forced the family to leave their home in Cape Town, and Zandile and the children had to temporarily relocate to Soweto, a region in South Africa known for its unsafe environment.
According to Chronicle Live, British passport applications were submitted for all three of Carl Wylie’s children in an effort to reunite the family in the UK. However, only one of the twins, Harley, was granted a passport. Carl is baffled by this decision and expressed his frustration, saying, “How can one twin be recognized as British and the other not? The lack of common sense is very frustrating. I’ve called them at least 40 times.”
According to Carl, being separated from his family has caused significant distress, as his children question why their father is not present. South African regulations complicate Carl’s situation since he cannot access a personal bank account or a mobile phone SIM card, making him reliant on his wife, Zandile, who is a local resident. He started applying for British passports for his children in October of the previous year.
Although he initially submitted copies of the birth certificates instead of the originals, he later sent the correct documents. Despite informing the passport office of his relocation to the UK, the birth certificates were returned to the family’s former home in Cape Town, where they no longer lived. However, after filing a complaint, he eventually received the returned paperwork.
Carl was shocked to find that only one passport was issued for Harley, while his other two children received none. This mistake has resulted in a prolonged separation from his wife and children, who have been living without power in Soweto for the past nine days. The passport office has asked him to reapply for the passports. In an effort to reunite with his family, Carl traveled to London to apply for South African passports for his children. He commented, “I’m trying to get both passports for them. It’s a matter of first come, first served.”
Currently, Carl is staying with his mother and plans to search for a rental once he receives confirmation that his family will be joining him in Gateshead, where his relatives live. His mother has only met the twins once when they were one year old and has not yet met his son Freddie, named after his grandfather. A Home Office spokesperson has apologized for any inconvenience caused and assured that they are in contact with the family to provide support and guidance regarding their passport applications.