Quirky queries from Brits abroad stump diplomats

LONDON : Diplomacy is supposed to be the art of the possible, but there were times when members of the British diplomatic service were stumped by their countryfolk abroad, asking less-than-amusing questions: their missions fielded over 20,000 such queries in 2019.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office on Saturday released its catalogue of the more unusual questions they were asked. A caller wanted to ask about getting British nationality for his son, who had recently been born overseas. He hoped the child would qualify for citizenship on the basis his parents were certain he’d been conceived in the UK. A couple in China who had engaged the services of a sperm donor wanted to know if the FCO staff could verify the nationality of the sperm as British.

A man rang to complain about the aeroplane food on the way to his holiday destination, asking to change him to a different airline for the return journey. A customer calling from Nigeria wanted to speak to the rapper 50 Cent and asked the British consulate to share his phone number.

A woman emailed to ask if she could buy 30 sheets of A4 paper from the British consulate, as she couldn’t find any in Texas.

A caller rang to say they had left their headphones in their hotel room in France and asked if embassy staff could pop round and see if they were still there.

A couple thinking of moving to Portugal asked the embassy to ask how removal companies got large items of furniture into small flats in Lisbon.

A man rang to ask to provide a television for his friend in Australia because the one in his hospital ward was broken.