[Closed] UK Border and asking lots of questions of EU nationals

What was the food like on the flight?

Reasonable enough but do they actually have any right to ask this of EU citizens? There aren't any transition arrangements still in place for Romanian citizens they have the same rights to work and live as everyone else.

Remember that free movement does not mean free movement in the way some seem to think, and never really has. What it means is you have the right to move around the EU and find work. If you haven't found anything after 3 months you have no right to remain.

You can travel in EU with just your ID card? That's new to me.

I thought everyone needs passport to travel even in EU (just waving through).

Travel between countries with ID card only? That's so obvious a way to generate illegal revenue ... 🙄

I don't see any reasons why you cannot ask ... I have been asked all the time.

Peanuts. Non-issue. 🙄

Yeah believe you can travel with a national ID card within Europe. Not something we can do as we don't have a national ID card.

chewkw - Member
You can travel in EU with just your ID card?

you can, yes. seems there's a lot you don't know chewkw.

In the Schengen area...

Not just in Schengen. EU nationals can come to the UK on an identity card and of course Irish nationals don't need a passport for the UK either.

And the UK too, I've been in and out of the UK on my French ID card and Madame took 110 kids through on their ID cards in 2016. She won't be doing it again though.

seosamh77 - Member

chewkw - Member
You can travel in EU with just your ID card?

you can, yes. seems there's a lot you don't know chewkw.

You also don't seem to see the opportunity or at least does not understand in other part of the world people buy fake ID daily ... 😆

Using ID to cross boarder is the dumbest idea there is ... 😆

I remember very well in the far east (where I come from) the central govt abolish passport travel, suddenly there were so many of "our" people migrating to the capital ... we laughed our head off when we realised that those migrated were all from our neighbouring countries using fake ID ... because of ethic diversity ... the govt didn't even know they were with fake ID ... security tighten since but it was so funny ... 😆

Yup, there's a market for fake passports including British ones. This isn't the place to put ideas into people's heads so I won't go further... .

Edit: except to say that if you wanted to get into the UK which document would you favour?

You also don't seem to see the opportunity or at least does not understand in other part of the world people buy fake ID daily ...

Using ID to cross boarder is the dumbest idea there is ...

And a Passport is a form of.......................

Using ID to cross boarder is the dumbest idea there is ...

No that would be a sodium tea pot, magnesium fire blanket or the Sinclair C5.

(Or actually it's probably the idea that you can have nuclear supremacy or world peace).

Edukator - Reformed Troll

Yup, there's a market for fake passports including British ones. This isn't the place to put ideas into people's heads so I won't go further... .

Edit: except to say that if you wanted to get into the UK which document would you favour?

If I were a desperado from outside of EU border I would learn few of the cultures and languages of the out most EU countries that are most corrupted, then buy my ID from there ... 😆

Imagine Turkey is in EU ... You will have the entire Central Asia and Asia relocate to EU ... 😆

Oh, just **** off!!!

I once watched a Romanian woman with her kids going in and out of poundland shoplifting, poundland! Maybe the MD has had enough of that and had had a word with the passport control as it must of been costing him literally hundreds of pounds! 😆

Yes because if you're say Iraqi just pitch up in Bulgaria , learn the language, find someone who will sell you a fraudulently obtained genuine doc as a forged or doctored passport will be spotted, have a large amount of cash to pay for all of this and away you go - obviously easy as pie

often get asked questions
what's the reason for your visit? I'm british.
how long are you staying for? Erm, I'm british (showing a british passport), but I'm only back for a week for christmas.
where do you live? Germany
where do you work? An international organisation of which the UK is a member state.
do you have any ID for that work? No, I left it at home.

tbf those last 3 are usually when trying to get back out again.

Not sure if it's the German car that confuses them, or the passport issued in "FCO".

Fortunately, I have a new passport that now works properly in automated passport control, so don't get scrutinised entering my own country.

Hate to think what non-Brits get asked. And 52% of the population want it to be harder?

andytherocketeer - Member

often get asked questions
what's the reason for your visit? I'm british.
how long are you staying for? Erm, I'm british (showing a british passport), but I'm only back for a week for christmas.
where do you live? Germany
where do you work? An international organisation of which the UK is a member state.
do you have any ID for that work? No, I left it at home.

tbf those last 3 are usually when trying to get back out again.

I got asked almost similar questions too when coming back ... 😆

"what's the reason for your visit?" I live and work here.
"how long are you staying for?" As long as I wish (refer to previous answer).
"where do you live?" Here in the toon.
"where do you work?" Large bureaucratic organization like yours. 😆

Yes, those are my answers with a smile.

Fortunately, I have a new passport that now works properly in automated passport control, so don't get scrutinised entering my own country.

Hate to think what non-Brits get asked. And 52% of the population want it to be harder?

Naw, it's cos they canny be ****ed listening to your inane pish.

Nobeerinthefridge - Member
Naw, it's cos they canny be **** listening to your inane pish.

^^^ 😆

In the past twice I was questioned in a special room. I thought they were going to perform cavity search 😆 , but 5 mins into the questioning they realised I was not a drug mule or diamond smuggler so we ended up chatting about silly stuff ...

edit: in the far east if you are being taken into special room ... you are in trouble.

OP yes they have the right to ask these questions of anyone. They can only deny entry to an EU citizen if they believe that person presents an immediate danger. As for the Romanians questions possibly

Suspicion of working illegally
Suspision of criminal activity
...

Romanians where the number 1 source of EU migrants last year, 30,000 in total. I imagine the Border agency is wondering how they are supporting themselves. They would have access to stats of how many are in legitimate employment vs working in the illegal labour market

@mrmo if you can support yourself you are entitled to stay as long as you like. If you are looking for work you can also stay as long as you like, these days in the UK you cannot claim unemployment benefits until you have been here 3 months (Germans are in the process of making that 5 years)

A mate of mine is mixed race (Mauritian dad, white british mum). My mate can only think that he was pulled over by security getting off Eurostar at St Pancras because he looks slightly browner than most white British people (apart from those returning from a few weeks sunning themselves in the Med). He was somewhat bemused by this pointless exchange...

Security: "What nationality is your passport?"
Mate: "British."
Security: "OK and do you live in the UK?"
Mate: "Yes I do."
Security: "OK great, thanks."

They didn't ask to see his passport or anything else!

french guiana was easier... "are you carrying any drugs? any cocaine, cannabis?"... nope... OK off you go.

Andy - I had exactly the same exchange going through customs at Birmingham International returning from a work trip in Amsterdam.

My best experience was being told to go back to Czechoslovakia (now Slovakia) from Hungarian boarder many many years ago. 😀

The Hungarian boarder security guards had to march me to the nearest boarder gate with machine gun ... 😆

Those were the days when they were still 3rd world nations. 😆

but i fort dat dey got a bundle of 50 pound notes and a free knee operation on our NHS?

They would have access to stats of how many are in legitimate employment vs working in the illegal labour market

what are you implying?

Imagine Turkey is in EU

Which it isn't and is unlikely to be for the foreseeable future.

bigrich, large number working cash in hand

Got any statistics? Because if you are condemning an entire nation of people as criminals, you'd better be pretty sure.

Profiling.... Just not by colour this time.
As ever the best way to go after cash in hand workers is through the people putting the cash in the hand. People at the border can come here to look for any work.

I once watched a Romanian woman with her kids going in and out of poundland shoplifting, poundland! Maybe the MD has had enough of that and had had a word with the passport control as it must of been costing him literally hundreds of pounds!

I've seen an Englishman punch his wife in the face. I judge him, like I judge you. You disgust me.

I had a romanian offer discount for cash, he was cunningly disguised as a carpet fitter called Dave from West Bromwich.

sneaky

RichPenny - Member
I once watched a Romanian woman with her kids going in and out of poundland shoplifting, poundland! Maybe the MD has had enough of that and had had a word with the passport control as it must of been costing him literally hundreds of pounds!
I've seen an Englishman punch his wife in the face. I judge him, like I judge you. You disgust me.

The poing being the "joke" could be taken as annecdote given the level of immigrant bashing these threads attract.

To try and explain what is being said at any point where you use a nationality other than yours in a story replace it with English person and see what it sounds like.

To try and explain what is being said at any point where you use a nationality other than yours in a story replace it with English person and see what it sounds like.

I have an honest face. At least twice border guards have waved me through as soon as I said I was British - no need to see a passport. (And no it wasn't in Schengen)

@bigrich I am not condeming an entire nation I am explaining why border force may be asking more questions of certain groups

I imagine Border force are able to assess how British you are likely to be by your accent. They have a job to do and a lot to get through so they make a few assumptions. They have to tread a line between political correctness, the law and doing their job

The border agents were asking a few groups a lot of questions. They were all Romanians travelling with their ID cards from what I could tell.

Flew back in from Paris last week and there were Border Force checking passports at the end of the plane tunnel (I'm sure there's a technical term for this – no idea what it is tho). They were asking the usual questions, but this was quite a stroll before transfers and regular passport control.

I was fine on a few questions having only left the day before, but those with connecting flights or a longer stay were getting asked a few more.

Hate to think what non-Brits get asked. And 52% of the population want it to be [s]harder?[/s]

They might have been doing increased questions for everyone that day. Was it just your flight?

I should really stick to asking questions about bikes, no chance of attracting chewy to those threads. 🙂

Anyway, thanks for the responses. It had piqued my curiosity as its the most "probing" I'd seen the Border agents be to people who were all in the EU queue.

Not really related to the topic, but drove to Ireland (Fishguard-Rosslare) on Thursday. Lots of questions* going through Rosslare, nothing on way back through Fishguard.

*I was impressed with the questioning tactics. 🙂 It was all very friendly, very "Irish" chatty type questions. Oh, where are off to? Ah, just a holiday? Who are you visiting? Travelling on your own with a small child and a dog, aren't you brave? etc etc." It was interesting that she never really let me finish a an answer to a question without starting her next one...all about lulling you into dropping your guard and "getting your answers wrong" I guess. I did enjoy the process though.

Got any statistics? Because if you are condemning an entire nation of people as criminals, you'd better be pretty sure.

I'm more than pretty sure that Romanians have by a significant margin the highest arrest rate of any EU nationality - will Google and edit if I can find the links but IIRC BBC More Or Less discussed it and had a Romanian Embassy official contributing and offering possible explanations.

I also know from 3 years as a police custody sergeant in a busy city (average at least 10 detainees a shift, so pushing 10,000 detainees) that Romanian organised crime gangs bring people to the UK to shoplift. Every one I dealt with had train tickets showing they'd travelled all over the country, and a piece of paper with a phone number for an 'uncle' and a solicitor. Of the literally hundreds I've dealt with they only gave about 3 different London addresses, and almost all of them had never been arrested before so were usually eligible for a caution (i.e the gang regularly replaced them once they were on our systems).

The entire south east is currently suffering from a series of residential burglaries committed by South American (yes really) gangs. We suspect groups fly in for a few weeks as tourists, burgle, no doubt have handlers lined up, and fly out again. Usual M.O is daytime, using a car to get around, usually the car parks up and a pretty young female (less suspicious or threatening) knocks on doors for help - actually an occupancy test for the house (if someone answers then she's lost, or needs water for the radiator etc).

I don't think all Romanians or Brazilians are thieves, I do think a disproportionate percentage (compared to other nationalities) of those travelling here may be engaged in a specific criminal activity and I'd expect the border force to have up to date intelligence on similar crime series.

As an aside, by far the biggest population I saw of asylum seekers (usually jump out of the backs of lorries and don't run away when Babylon turn up, or even self present at police stations after entering as they know being technically detained for immigration offences is the start of the asylum process) wasn't Syrian or Iraqi, but Eritrean. So I educated myself as to why (think North Korea).

DD - the Swiss are very good too. Spend their time chatting to the kids, which the kids love, makes them feel important, while all the time just gently watching the parents reaction. I suspect if you have something to hide it's pretty stressful.

They don't ask me difficult questions at all coz I am legit.

Are they not even suspicious of the frequent change in register of your language?

CharlieMungus - Member

They don't ask me difficult questions at all coz I am legit

Are they not even suspicious of the frequent change in register of your language?

Sometimes they asked me about where I visited so I just gave them honest response because it really is boring coz I don't do much. Really ... not much ... eat, drink, sleep, sit around or smoke roll-ups then eat drink sleep chat ... nothing much. Holiday for me is just that. Do nothing. 😆

To answer part of your question rich, yes; immigration officers can deny eu nationals entry to the uk but only apparently in rare circumstances. [url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-eu-referendum-36101449 ]This article[/url] from last year explains the basis on which they can do so, and how often it happens. In addition, there will be a significant number of eu nationals who remain subject to deportation orders on criminality or other grounds who will be denied entry if they try to re-enter.

I wondered also, given the number of eu rough sleepers who are being removed from the uk, the IOs may be trying to establish whether those entering have any intention/prospect of exercising treaty rights in the uk, however it appears (i may be wrong!) they wouldn't have the power to prevent entry on this basis.

Really, the boarder police/guards are not asking questions randomly or to simply pass the time or to annoy people they don't like the look of. They are all briefed to look out for a particular known 'threat'. They're working closely with all the usual security forces who are working with other countries security forces. They're looking for domestic criminals as much as foreign national trying to get into the country with dodgy intentions - and there are alot. I've got a mate who works at an airport and works closely with the security forces and a friend of the family works as a passport control officer and hundreds of people every day are stopped who are either trying to get into the country wth dodgy documents or are known to the security services and trying to enter the country with unpleasant intentions. Nothing to do with being racist or prejudiced - these people are professionals and doing a very deliberate job. We should be thankful in our ignorance and if stopped be as polite and helpful as possible.

I think if we demand to live in an open and free society as small amount of inconvenience occasionally at the airport is a small price to pay.

There boarder guards have every right to stop absolutely anybody they like and ask them anything they like to satisfy themselves that they are not a threat or trying to enter the country under false pretences. They do a great job -they may not be at the front line like the firemen, policemen etc. and attract all the thanks and praise when something cracks off, but they are doing just as important and good a job.

wobbliscott - Member
Nothing to do with being racist or prejudiced - these people are professionals and doing a very deliberate job. We should be thankful in our ignorance and if stopped be as polite and helpful as possible.

They were doing their jobs and all the time they were fine with me.

My description of "Miami vice" is due to me ...

... carrying some metal items ...

The first time it was key ring with metal wire that could be used to strangle someone, yes it can. 😆

The second time it was a metal block that the scanner could not scan so require special check. 😛

Then follow by all the questions ...

edit: I was carrying metal material gifts for mates back home ... 😆

@crashtest thats the sort of stories I have heard. The French have similar issues. I was doing my best to be relatively PC

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0188t37

This is from 2013, in which case it's been replayed or cited recently as my memory isn't [i]that[/i] good.

Romanians are "the second most arrested immigrant group, but only the ninth most populous immigrant community". And their own ambassador says in the interview "64% of all crimes committed in the UK by Romanians are for low risk criminality such as theft, shoplifting and begging" which tallies with the organised gangs I mentioned.

*I was impressed with the questioning tactics. It was all very friendly, It was interesting that she never really let me finish a an answer to a question without starting her next one...all about lulling you into dropping your guard and "getting your answers wrong" I guess.

Errm ok
Well here is my point of view
We use agency staff and I run the teams (one of many of my jobs).

Had a Romanian girl working for me in Feb and she was shit hot, hard working, reliable and honest.
We have just had another pile of work where we require agency staff it took me 3 weeks to get her back she was shocked I'd been asking the agency for weeks for her.
Once again her work it top of the pile, cannot fault her if I could I get my boss to take her on full time contract, I would.

I've a Slovakia lad who pretty much works with me full time, at home he was a school teacher, teaching History. Secondary School.

He as been working with me for 7 months, once again great guy honest hard working reliable. I had to UK nationals before him one lasted 2 weeks one lasted 1 month both were shit, lazy and unreliable.

What we need is some type of immigration system where we can keep the good ones and not let in the bad ones... 😆

Not even on holiday!

the boarder police/guards are not asking questions randomly or to simply pass the time or to annoy people they don't like the look of

While I'm sure that is true, there was an official st Southampton airport who always asked to see my passport just before entering customs. This would happen if I were traveling for work or returning from a holiday, probably 6 occasions in total.

They obviously couldn't catch the person they were looking for. Probably because the authorities at other airports weren't looking for that person. In fact, other officials at Southampton airport weren't looking for that person either.

I came to the conclusion that he had a crush on me, didn't like the look of me or that he was bored.

What we need is some type of birth system where we can keep the good ones and not let out the bad ones...

I think we should just all accept that you being a victim of crime is a result of you being genetically/financially inferior. 😀 Being a victim of crime is for lower middle class people!

On a serious note, welcome to the big interconnected capitalist world guys - hadn't you noticed the world has been getting smaller since the ****ing invention of flight! It's not the 1910's anymore - half the world can afford to to fly over to your country and burgle you. The poor and displaced of the world have only just cottoned on to this, and the affluent world hasn't even realised that they actually have to share the planet with 5-6 billion other people!

Fun times ahead bros!

#thenationstateisdead

we had local chelsea lads working in the stores department at a big london research institute,

constant issues with stuff going missing- laptops, amazon packages etc etc

got so most people didnt want stuff delivered to work

Investigations were launched but nothing ever proved, (usually blamed drivers etc)

Works xmas party police catch the stores team getting high in the loading bay, they also end up having some coke and pills on them

so they all got fired, got a load of Polish agency staff in for the new year and it was an amazing change, not only did things stop getting 'lost' , but they were just so much more efficient, so they were all made permanent, just made everyones lives easier!

its all anecdotal obvs, but no one missed the cheeky chelsea wideboys!

I've noticed that returning to the uk, the kids get an awful lot of friendly chatty type questions thrown their way. I assume it's because they've changed so much since their passports were issued, whereas my wife and I look the same.

It's a border ffs, not a boarder.

And breathe....

Really, the boarder police/guards are not asking questions randomly or to simply pass the time or to annoy people they don't like the look of.

Yes they are .... it doesn't mean they are not ALSO

They are all briefed to look out for a particular known 'threat'. They're working closely with all the usual security forces who are working with other countries security forces.

I'm currently writing a report and running some analytics.... in between analytics runs and pasting results I'm bored and exercising my prejudice for single track bikes and randomly selecting some posts.

Had a Romanian girl working for me in Feb and she was shit hot, hard working, reliable and honest.
We have just had another pile of work where we require agency staff it took me 3 weeks to get her back she was shocked I'd been asking the agency for weeks for her.
Once again her work it top of the pile, cannot fault her if I could I get my boss to take her on full time contract, I would.

Yep... had the same and worked with 3 professional Romanians...
HOWEVER ... just ask them. They don't trust the dodgy types either and Romania has a high percentage of them. Nor do other Eastern European countries.

I had some dodgy Romanians turn up the other morning looking for a house number. They were shifty to start with but when I read their phone (to see the address) and realised they were Romanian it did make a difference. I was about to leave the house and with the Slovakian builders next door I'd have left the window unlocked.

I think it's important that being PC doesn't obscure facts.....
I just dropped the kid off at school... unusually took the car and found a legal parking space.... Lots of parents couldn't be bothered or were unable to park legally... A very high percentage of them were wearing veils....

I'm not sure what that means... on one hand perhaps they could have parked where I did... as they couldn't actually see to reverse.... (why should it even be allowed is another story) ... on the other perhaps they just don't feel compelled to follow our laws ???

Regardless the reason for the yellow lines is to stop children dying!
So I started wondering (as I was queued in traffic) perhaps they should just make some special parking for women who wear veils?

On one hand I find it offensive we should have to.... on the other if it saves a kid being injured or killed WTF! Quite frankly I'd disqualify anyone wearing a veil from driving.

HOWEVER ... non of those will happen as it is not PC to even recognise the fact that there is a correlation between women who drive in veils and "parking" (I use that term very loosely) dangerously.

Coincidentally I did wave at a legally parked mother I know who happens to be Slovenian she then pulled off and a veiled mother then ignored the free space (literally next to her but required reversing) and just left her car in the middle of the road (quite literally middle) leaving other parents to have to drive through the legal parking space to get round her car...

To me this seems like we actually missed the whole point.
No-one dare question it... or they are branded racist yet it's plain to see.

I'm not sure what that means... on one hand perhaps they could have parked where I did... as they couldn't actually see to reverse.... (why should it even be allowed is another story) ... on the other perhaps they just don't feel compelled to follow our laws ???

Regardless the reason for the yellow lines is to stop children dying!
So I started wondering (as I was queued in traffic) perhaps they should just make some special parking for women who wear veils?

how about just not letting women drive? (See, maybe the Saudi's had it right all along...)

stevextc - I don't ever want to be on what you have just taken.

stevextc - I don't ever want to be on what you have just taken.

I just took a simple dose of reality followed by sitting in traffic and letting my mind wander.

The UK has got PC to the point that respectable immigrants are scared to point out reality about subsets their own countrymen/women.

Riding the wrong way a one way trail with a few blind bends and jumps is just plain stupid...
So is driving in a veil that obscures your vision....

The fact that one is done by White English blokes and the other almost exclusively by women of one religion doesn't make it more or less stupid...

Was anyone at Swinley on Sunday ???
Bunch of riders riding UP the new dropoffs/table top.... [u]repeatedly[/u]even AFTER one of them going down hit one of them going up... slamming on the brakes half way down and people having to try and avoid them mid air... didn't understand the idea of a queue....

As my kid was riding I had to stop him riding until they left... I had tried to point out that riding up the trail was dangerous but I was told "they were registered deaf" .. as if that made it OK or how dare I point this out to a registered disabled person??? They just continued so we waited for them to leave...

Caught up with them later blocking the trail .. bikes scattered lying across the trail

You'd think not being able to hear other riders would mean they might want to be extra careful.... but nope.. it just means no-one is allowed to say anything.

In contrast, earlier this year I was on the motorbike in Morocco for a few days and rode back home via Spain. Passport was stamped in Morocco yet I was not asked any questions at Spanish or UK borders, not were any of my bags searched, before to rode home via central London. Can’t quite remember exactly which bridge I crossed but somewhere vaguely Whitehall-ish

Rachel

Building on ninfan's comment, why not just ban children being dropped off at school, or even just ban children? 😉

Actually if we banned children we would remove 600,000 plus non-productive types from E&W alone every year. That would create the space for allowing immigrants in, who lets face it contribute more to the economy than children do. In fact we could even increase immigration.