Passport Portraits of Yesteryear no. 15

Continuing the series of passport photographs from my collection.
Peruse and wonder.

Mrs Emelia Scheffermeyer gazes directly into the camera whilst her husband, Alexandre, steadfastly looks elsewhere. It is January 1915. Their country, Belgium, has been invaded by Germany but they have escaped northwards to Rotterdam. Here they acquired this laissez passer from the Belgian Consul General. They have visited the British Consul General in Rotterdam and obtained a visa 'good for one voyage to England en route to France.' 

They arrive in Folkestone on 31 January and are registered by the Folkestone War Refugee Committee. They do the rounds of the consulates, obtaining a Belgian visa in Folkestone and a French visa in Dover, valid for 'France via Dieppe'.  
On 5 February 1915, they register at the Belgian Legation in Paris.
They have made it!