Kelly Bailey, a resident of the Isle of Man, described feeling "like a criminal" after being held for eight hours without her luggage, food, or water in Istanbul, Turkey, before being escorted on a return flight to Manchester, United Kingdom.

Kelly Bailey travelled to Turkey in late 2022, having previously visited the country with her children months earlier using the same Manx passport without any difficulty. Kelly Bailey reported that on the later trip, Turkish officials pulled Kelly Bailey aside, informed Kelly Bailey that a visa was required, and instructed Kelly Bailey to apply for the visa through the United Kingdom Embassy in London.

Because the United Kingdom Embassy in London was closed at the time, Kelly Bailey said Kelly Bailey was detained overnight for eight hours, denied food and drink, and had Kelly Bailey’s luggage confiscated, leaving Kelly Bailey only with Kelly Bailey’s phone.

Kelly Bailey recalled the experience as terrifying, stating, "It absolutely terrified me. I was alone and so upset... it was humiliating." Kelly Bailey added that Kelly Bailey felt humiliated by the treatment received at the border.

Garry Bolton, a resident of the Isle of Man, and Garry Bolton’s partner reported a similar ordeal in Turkey when they travelled to Istanbul for a birthday celebration. Garry Bolton and Garry Bolton’s partner said they never made it past the airport because Turkish officials detained them after believing that small design changes on their Manx passports indicated possible forgeries.

Garry Bolton said Turkish officials accused Garry Bolton and Garry Bolton’s partner of attempting to enter the country on false passports. Garry Bolton explained that Garry Bolton and Garry Bolton’s partner were held for about eight hours without food or water before being escorted onto a plane back to the United Kingdom.

Garry Bolton described Garry Bolton’s partner as especially scared during the detention. Garry Bolton also outlined how attempts by Garry Bolton and Garry Bolton’s partner to obtain assistance from the Turkish consulate and the Isle of Man government produced no resolution.

Garry Bolton claimed the ordeal left Garry Bolton and Garry Bolton’s partner thousands of pounds out of pocket. Garry Bolton added that Garry Bolton and Garry Bolton’s partner have since obtained United Kingdom passports to avoid a repeat of the incident in the future.

Niall Quiggin, a resident of Onchan, Isle of Man, shared his passport issues encountered in China. Niall Quiggin was travelling to Yangzhou for work, assuming that Niall Quiggin’s Manx passport would fall under China’s temporary visa‑free travel arrangement for United Kingdom nationals.

Upon arrival in Shanghai, China, Niall Quiggin said Niall Quiggin was singled out at immigration. Niall Quiggin reported that all the other British nationals were processed quickly, while Chinese officials stared at Niall Quiggin’s Manx passport for an extended period before moving Niall Quiggin to a holding room for more than two hours.

After more than two hours, Niall Quiggin was granted a temporary emergency entry permit, valid only for the dates of Niall Quiggin’s travel, with the requirement that Niall Quiggin apply for a full visa in the future.

Niall Quiggin was told the cause of the detention was the wording on Niall Quiggin’s Manx passport, where instead of reading "United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland," the passport read "British Islands Isle of Man." Niall Quiggin expressed hope that the incident would prompt clearer guidance from authorities on how crown dependencies’ passports are treated under international agreements.

While Niall Quiggin said Niall Quiggin likes "the Manx passport being a bit different," Niall Quiggin believes that key wording should be clearer for countries outside of the British Isles to understand.

The Isle of Man Immigration Service acknowledged the recent case in China where a Manx passport holder was denied entry. The Isle of Man Immigration Service stated that entry rules are set solely by host countries and that travellers must ensure their passports meet local requirements.

The Isle of Man Immigration Service advised travellers to consult the United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and the relevant embassies before travelling.

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