An ever increasing number of parents don't share the same surname as their children – a rise in the number of women keeping their maiden name and increasing cohabitation and re-marriage mean family members often don't have the same surname. In an age where the 'traditional' family type is less and less common, passports should be evolving to reflect this.
Steve said: "Those with different surnames will often be stopped at Border Control and quizzed on who they are travelling with, which can be terribly distressing for parent and child alike.
"I know that many of the families the campaign team have spoken to have also been given conflicting advice on what additional documentation they need to carry to travel easily through Border Control, with one mother even being told she should be carrying her late husband's death certificate!
"The extent of confusion surrounding this issue clearly shows that a simpler system is needed. And this is not only a stressful and upsetting experience for children and families, it also introduces unnecessary delays at our borders and distracts Border Staff from their crucial work."
Polling carried out by YouGov suggests over 600,000 parents have been affected by this issue in the last five years alone. Data from the ONS further demonstrates this issue is only set to increase, with cohabiting families are the fastest growing family type in the UK. The number of dependent children living in opposite sex cohabiting couple families rose from 1.4 million to 1.9 million over the same period.
In a report last November, the Home Affairs Select Committee directly recommended for the government to investigate the proposals more thoroughly, and the government are set to respond shortly.
Pictured; Steve joins campaign founder Helen Perry
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