'A thin existence': man stranded in Turkey after being refused entry to Britain

Siyabonga Twala, a-34-year old South African citizen, walks near his hotel in Ankara, Turkey March 11, 2023. REUTERS/Tunahan Turhan

ANKARA (Reuters) - Stranded in Turkey since being barred from boarding a flight to Britain more than two months ago, Siyabonga Twala spent his 34th birthday on Saturday away from his son and family in an unfamiliar city.

Twala holds South African citizenship, has lived in the UK since 2004 and is father to a British son. But on Dec. 29, he and his parents, son and two siblings were flying back to Britain after a trip to South Africa when he was stopped from boarding the plane in Istanbul.