A dad whose daughters divide their time between their mum in France and his UK home is distraught at the change to quarantine rules.
Jamie Burgess, 40, from South London, has had his parenting arrangements thrown into chaos by the government's decision to force even double-jabbed travellers returning from amber list France to isolate at home for 10 days.
He has blasted the government over the sudden change, claiming it does not take into account families whose livelihoods depend on being able to move children across borders.
He claims his year of attempts to highlight the issue for families like his - who must travel for custody reasons - have been ignored by the government.
The dad-of-two told the Mirror: “I’m not going for a holiday and that. I’m not going for a knees-up, to have fun. I’m going to see my kids.”
Brits stuck in France and holidaymakers with trips planned to the country have told of having their plans thrown into disarray - labelling the rule-change a "nightmare" that could cost them thousands.
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From Monday, July 19, double-jabbed Brits returning from all other amber list countries will no longer have to quarantine. But on Friday night the government suddenly changed the rules to exclude France.
Jamie, who is a gardener unable to work from home, is now scrambling to cancel jobs and arrange his tests and quarantine after he returns from dropping his girls back to their mum in Toulouse.
He and ex-wife Marina have an amicable parenting arrangement that sees their two children live between France and the UK.
Anna, 5, and Léa, 4, are currently staying with Jamie in London during their summer school holidays.
Under the parents' agreement, Jamie takes the children back and forth from the UK to France in keeping with their custody arrangement approved by the courts.
They were due to divide their time between Toulouse and London during the summer break until they are expected back at school in September.
Jamie had planned to drop the girls back in France on Thursday.
But the rule change means that the dad will now have to quarantine upon his return from France for 10 days.
Because he owns his own business, this means he has to make urgent plans to take time off work, and he faces losing income.
Jamie had been working in France until 2018, which he says meant he was ruled out of furlough or self-employment support payments from the government during lockdown.
He said he and his business partner had been working hard to rebuild his gardening company and the disruption this would cause would come at a huge cost.
Jamie said: “The travel is essential- I have to go to France to see the girls, I’m court-ordered to go. Now by doing that I have to quarantine.”
Jamie has been writing letters to ministers throughout the pandemic trying to get them to put in place special travel arrangements for families who parent children across borders.
With France only a short train-ride away, he is certain there will be many British children who normally divide their time between countries in a similar position to his daughters.
Jamie said the rules would only work for parents able to work from home, which he cannot do.
He fears that if France is added to the red list, as recent reports have suggested, he could also face having to pay £1,750 for a 10-day government-approved hotel quarantine facility, on top of losing paid gardening work.
“I’m going to have to go practically bankrupt just to see my kids. It’s really devastating. I have to choose between seeing my kids or being able to work.”
“There’s no handout for me.”
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“I don’t want everyone to be banned from travel, but there’s a difference between people just going on holiday, which I’m not going to do - if I go anywhere I’m going in England. We all do our bit.
"But the difference is this is court-ordered - it’s in French law, it’s in English law. Kids are allowed to travel around England between parents too."
He questioned the official travel rules concerning families, saying no plans had been drawn up for cross-border parenting.
Jamie questioned why the government had allowed football officials to arrive in the UK without quarantining for the Euro championships, but not parents with custody commitments.
“In 18 months they couldn’t think of something? How come they can’t come up with some sort of a plan to ensure people can see their families?”
The girls' mum, Marina, told the Mirror: "Our divorce is one thing, and so already the girls can't see their dad as often as they want.
"But the current situation is very difficult. During four months they couldn't go to England and for them it was difficult to understand the situation."
Brits already in France also criticised the rule change, which the UK government had based on France's mutant variant case numbers.
David Marsh, from south Northamptonshire, branded the rule change “disappointing” as he rushes to rearrange his travel back to the UK.
He and his partner are visiting their second home in Charente, western France.
They had extended their stay after the UK announced double-jabbed travellers would no longer have to quarantine when returning from amber list countries after July 19.
The pair had been due to return on Monday, and had a Covid test booked for their arrival.
But they have since had to make plans to quarantine at home, including booking a last-minute eight-day test, and have been scrambling to find online supermarket delivery options.
They have also had to move their travel date to Wednesday, as they could not get the pre-departure test now required during the weekend in France at such short notice.
They also don’t yet have the day-eight test booking code required to show the UK Border Force agents at the Euro Tunnel, and hope it will be sent to them by their testing firm soon.
Mr Marsh told the Mirror: “It’s just inconvenient really.”
“When we came here at first we expected to isolate on our return so it was all sorted but when we found out we didn’t have to we extended our stay.
Mr Marsh said he was no expert on the virus but he was baffled by how the UK could open up on Monday even as Delta cases surge, while placing restrictions on France.
“The rest of the world thinks we’re sort of crazy, that we’re sponsoring this Delta epidemic.
"I understand the concern about France and the spread of the Beta and Delta variant...but they do seem to have it much under control compared to the UK - to England, I should say."
Brits with travel planned to France have been left trying to decide whether to cancel their plans at short notice - panicking at the risk of big bills.
Jenny and Fred Bird, aged 71 and 74, from Northumberland, had planned a trip to Carcassonne, in southern France, in August after having to postpone the holiday last year.
They had already spent £220 on Ryanair flights, and fear that they will not be able to move their £700 accommodation date a second time.
Jenny claims they face spending £480 on tests returning to quarantine in the UK, which she noted was far more expensive than test prices in France.
She said she and her husband were worried if they do go on the trip, France could suddenly be thrust onto the red list and they would face hotel quarantine bills.
Jenny, who is vulnerable and spent much of last year shielding, said she had previously supported the Tories' handling of the pandemic, but the plan to drop mask rules and travel flip-flopping had frustrated her.
Jenny added: "I think he's made a big mistake. It's the first time I've ever agreed with Keir Starmer.
"They just keep chopping and changing at whim. That's it: Put it on a red list and then at least people know where they stand. Now I'm wondering what decision France could make - I'm beginning to think that this is political."
"If Boris does decide to put it on the red list while we're there we'll have to suddenly get a flight home before the deadline and Ryanair could put the flight prices up. Or we can stay and come home to a £1,700 quarantine hotel."
"It's a complete nightmare."
Jannick Wright, who lives in Bath, is desperate to go on her upcoming trip to visit family in France - but fears she will be hit with hotel quarantine fees on the way back.
She said: "They're saying we have to go into isolation into our own house but what do we do if it suddenly changes?
"We have to go into isolation into a hotel - three of us - and pay £6,000?
"This is insane, but I haven't seen my family for seven months and psychologically I can't do it any longer."
