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A life in limbo for the girl who doesn't exist
Benedict Moore-Bridger, Evening Standard23.07.08
A teenager is facing a lifetime of unemployment after being told that legally she does not exist.
Jade Jacobs-Brook, 16, is unable to even get a bank account because of an administrative mistake with her birth registration.
Despite spending almost all of her life in Harlow, Essex, the 16-year-old was born in Alicante in Spain while her British parents were on holiday.
Her birth was registered with the Spanish authorities but she returned home without a birth certificate from the British consulate and ever since has been unable to prove her identity.
It has meant she has been turned down for a string of summer jobs by potential employers, who are unwilling to take her on without identification. She said: "I saw these other people getting their contracts and then there's me and I was really upset."
Her mother, Linda Jacobs, 56, said Jade's life had been massively affected by the strange situation.
She said: "When there were school trips to France Jade knew she would be spending the day in the library. She feels awful. We knew all along it was going to kick off somewhere and it happened when she started going for jobs.
"We have written to Tony Blair when he was Prime Minister, the Queen, the Foreign Office, but we are stuck. We don't know what will happen."
Reader views (9)
A decade of neglect by McLabour obviously wasn't going to help innocent Jades desperate situation despite her many written pleas for assistance.
Ever the egotistical opportunist, Mr Milliband's presently anxiously looking to 'up' his current profile just now, as he jostles for position amongst 'ify' Brown's would-be successors. So might I suggest that Jade's mother knocks on his door with the TV media in tow, and personally embarrass cocky David into 'sorting it'.
But anyway, aren't we all supposed to be EU citizens now.
Peter Mandelson's shortly not going to be twiddling his fingers, when he winds down as [soon to be ex] EU Commissioner, try him.
- Dave, cartmel
"We knew all along it was going to kick off somewhere". Her parents must be supremely stupid. If every school trip abroad was ruined by her not having a passport, if she has never been on holiday due to this same reason, then at what point did they not consider feeling guilty, applying to the British Consulate and sorting out her passport. Back of the queue when God was giving out brains
- Paul, London
How on earth did she get back to the UK in 1992? She would have had to get either a British or a Spanish passport at the time...Anyhow I am sure she can get a copy of her birth certificate in Spain and apply for a British passport. Or even quicker, get a Spanish ID and enjoy some football and tennis victories. Don't understand the panic...
- Maria, London
OK, so surely she could become a Spanish citizen with her birth certificate and as Spain is in the EU she has the right to work in the UK (also in the EU) like many Spanish citizens here. Being British doesn't matter anymore.
- Andy T, Richmond, London
Sounds an ideal candidate to become a spy.
MI5/MI6 should offer her a job!
Or have seen too many films?
- Robert, London,uk
This teenager should be able to get a Spanish birth certificate because her birth was registered. Since both her parents are British she should be able to apply for British citizenship.
My daughter was born in South Africa. Her birth was registered and I had no difficulty registering her birth with the British Consulate because both her parents were British.
- Katherine Brettell, York
Don't you think this should of been sorted out by now you have had 16 years to do this why wait until she needs proof of who she is.
You knew what would happen trying to prove things so it should of been sorted when she was very young instead of putting your daughter through all this anguish.
- Tracey Storey, bedlington northumberland
I'm sorry, but if Mr.Jobsworth from the government says you don't exist then you're just going to have to go away, bring back common sense.
- Mark, London, UK
Would not a DNA test prove she is her parents daughter, and thus who they say she is?
- Lucy, london
