Woman left 'feeling like a fugitive' after being immediately deported from China after 12-hour flight

Marcus Donaldson
Tue, 31 Mar 2026 18:33:43 +0000

A 26-year-old British woman was left “feeling like a fugitive” after Chinese immigration authorities refused to accept her Isle of Man passport and sent her back to Britain.

The traveller, who wishes to remain anonymous, had set off on what was meant to be a 10-day solo trip, departing from Gatwick bound for Shanghai.

Upon landing in China, however, border officials ruled her Manx travel document did not qualify for the 30-day visa-free entry scheme available to British passport holders.

Despite multiple attempts to resolve the matter, she was ultimately escorted back onto a UK-bound aircraft.

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Following a 12-hour flight from Britain, the woman arrived at Shanghai airport, where she needed to catch a connecting service to Guangzhou.

At the domestic transfer desk, staff appeared perplexed by her documentation and enquired about her visa.

She informed them as the Isle of Man formed part of the British Isles, no visa was required for her visit.

Officials directed her to wait while they consulted a supervisor, who subsequently explained her passport was not considered part of the United Kingdom or Great Britain.

"You don't have one, so you need to go back home," she recalled being told.

As the situation deteriorated, her boyfriend, back in Britain, reached out to the Chinese Consulate in London, which opened a case file and offered assistance.

Yet a communications breakdown ensued because the British Consulate in Shanghai had not yet begun its working day.

"I couldn't get through to anybody, my parents, my boyfriend, and even the London consulate couldn't get through to anybody in China," she explained.

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She was eventually guided through security and placed on a return flight to Britain.

The experience left her feeling deeply unsettled, she said, describing it as "almost felt like a little bit like a fugitive".

"It felt like I'd done something really wrong, and I felt really stupid," she added.

Her passport was taken from her for the entire 12-hour journey home and returned only when the aircraft touched down at Gatwick.

"Nothing makes you feel more alone than being refused entry to a country and then not sure what's happening with yourself," she said.

Now safely back on the Isle of Man, the woman has contacted the Cabinet Office to request an explanation for the denial of her Manx passport, which identifies the bearer as a British Citizen.

"I don't blame the people at immigration for questioning it," she added.

GB News has approached the Isle of Man’s Government for comment.