‘It was a big shock’: new border rules left couple stuck in Kraków after living in UK for 80 years

Maria and Czeslaw Krupa, a couple who have resided in the United Kingdom for nearly 80 years, are currently unable to return to their home in Bury after being denied post-Brexit residency rights. The couple, who arrived in the UK as children of displaced Polish veterans following the Second World War, were informed that they do not meet the legal requirements to re-enter the country under current border regulations.

The situation arose after the couple traveled to Kraków, Poland, only to discover that their status did not grant them the right to return to their long-term residence. Their experience highlights the ongoing impact of post-Brexit immigration policies on long-term residents who arrived in the UK decades ago but may lack the formal documentation required under the new system.