travelling abroad for a funeral

[philwafc]

Hi

My wife is currently going through her DLR application so the UKBA have her passport. The problem is my Mum passed away this week in the Isle Of Man while on holiday and because she was born there the funeral may be held there. Is there some kind of temporary travel document my wife could get to travel with me. I understand the home office may issue some kind of pass for people without passports, but i'm not sure this would be relevant for my wife and it would probably take too long anyway. I suppose my wife could request back her passport for an emergency, but as it has been 8 months since her application we fear getting her passport back then sending it again to the UKBA she would be put to the back of the queue again, also if she did request it back it would probably take the UKBA ages to send it (even for an emergency) and the funeral would have been and gone.
Any ideas. Thanks.

[Lucapooka]

She can go to IOM without any problems. However,if she leaves the UK she will not be allowed to re-enter as she has no residence permit or entry clearance. A pending application with the UKBA (and without having continuing extant leave in another legitimate category) does not permit this.

[philwafc]

As the Isle Of Man isn't part of the UK, I guess she will have to stay at home then. Disgraceful that is, I thought there would be a separate rule for matters like this.

Thanks anyway.

[Lucapooka]

But the IOM is part of the passport-free CTA. Getting on a plane without ID is another matter.

I'm sorry you feel that way. The UK has some of the most generous discretionary leave and asylum laws in the world. Nobody is forcing her to remain in the UK and plead for permission to be allowed to live there, when she does not have that inherent right through nationality or other legitimate immigration routes within the immigration rules. She has, by choice, stepped outside the immigration norms and she must accept that her irregular application, although being generously considered, will take time and she can't travel until a decision has been reached. Or perhaps she should choose to live in some other location where the laws are not disgraceful?