August 15, 2018 9.53 am This story is over 67 months old

Lincoln dad in limbo: Home Office refuses passport and questions nationality

His father and grandfather both fought for the armed forces

A man who has lived in Lincoln all of his life, and whose father and grandfather fought for the British Armed Forces, has been left ‘confused and upset’ after he was refused a passport and asked to prove his nationality.

Dean Shackleton applied for a passport last year, but says that his application was refused by the Home Office.

The immigration authority told the father of six that he needs to hand over a copy of his father’s birth certificate to prove his British nationality.

But Dean says he doesn’t have a copy of his father’s birth certificate because he died 13 years ago.

The 41-year-old has roots in Zimbabwe through his grandmother.

His grandfather was born in Bradford and was posted to Zimbabwe for the British Armed Forces, where he met Dean’s grandmother.

The couple married in England, but Dean’s father was born while they were posted back out to Zimbabwe with the forces.

The family returned to the UK, where Dean’s father also took up a position in the Armed Forces. Dean was born in Bulawayo but moved back to the UK with his family when he was three months old.

Dean has never travelled, but said two of his three sisters have been issued passports – just one of whom was asked to pay to change her nationality.

His grandfather and father both fought for the British armed forces. Pictured is his father and mother at their wedding in the UK. Photo: Connor Creaghan for The Lincolnite

Claire Shackleton is married to Dean and told The Lincolnite: “We have done everything that we possibly can to prove that he is British.

“The Home Office warned us that once Dean becomes a British citizen that he will have to start paying taxes and apply for a National Insurance number.

“But Dean was given a National Insurance number when he was a teenager and has been paying taxes all of his life, just like everybody else.”

Dean and Claire are married with six children. Photo: Connor Creaghan for The Lincolnite

The Lincoln couple are hoping to take their children on holiday to Spain as soon as Dean is given a passport.

Dean Shackleton said: “Everything about me is British. I have always considered myself to be British, I have never been African.

“What is going to happen next? Are they going to knock on my door and say that ‘you’ve got to go home’ and put me in one of those immigration centres?

“It does upset me. I do sit there and think that it is quite scary, leaving everything behind to go to a country that I do not know.”

A spokesperson for the Home Office said: “We are in touch with Mr Shackleton and we are working with him to resolve his case.”

Dean and Claire say they want to take their family for a holiday in Spain. Photo: Connor Creaghan for The Lincolnite