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3crown
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Post by 3crown » Wed Sep 16, 2009 12:55 pm

Hub just about to apply for ILR - been on 2 year spouse Visa and in & out of UK a few times to Europe and home. - came in yesterday from Algeria to Term 5 heathrow and a real ' little charmer' gave him a verbal pasting - worse than his initial interview and his first entry apparently. I was waiting for him but she wasn't interested to hear that. Super end to a lovely family break for him. not. Will the prejudice ever end?

John
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Post by John » Wed Sep 16, 2009 1:32 pm

At the end of August you posted :-
My husband will be applying for BC soon.
-: but now you tell us he is about to apply for ILR. Will he qualify for Naturalisation, as soon as he has his ILR? Was he in the UK before the 2-year spouse visa was granted?

As regards "verbal pasting", you mean he was being questioned vigorously? What about? His marriage to you? His regular trips in and out of the UK?

Did his luggage get searched?
John

3crown
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Post by 3crown » Wed Sep 16, 2009 2:19 pm

Hi John No we will need to go through ILR first. His luggage wasn't searched - obviously the lady just didn't quite like look of him...We've not had a problem at all when we've been travelling together.
Yes - questioned quickly and vigourously about our marriage and whether he was still with me, my name, place of work, my whereabouts now, how he was getting back home yesterday- he felt she was trying to trip him up. Just felt like having the rug pulled - surely she could see his stamps in and out - only three for a week at a time over 19 months...maybe she just felt that way about non-whites...
John wrote:At the end of August you posted :-
My husband will be applying for BC soon.
-: but now you tell us he is about to apply for ILR. Will he qualify for Naturalisation, as soon as he has his ILR? Was he in the UK before the 2-year spouse visa was granted?

As regards "verbal pasting", you mean he was being questioned vigorously? What about? His marriage to you? His regular trips in and out of the UK?

Did his luggage get searched?

John
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Post by John » Wed Sep 16, 2009 2:46 pm

maybe she just felt that way about non-whites...
I would very much doubt that, that it was anything to do with the colour of his skin.

I don't know whether you have Sky, and if you do, whether you have been watching the new series of "UK Border Force" but if you have, people of all sorts of colour and nationality have problems easily clearly immigration control.

I suspect, even if it was not mentioned in the questioning, the regularity of travel might have had more to do with it.
John

andyb123
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Post by andyb123 » Wed Sep 16, 2009 2:53 pm

3crown wrote:...We've not had a problem at all when we've been travelling together.

Yes - questioned quickly and vigourously about our marriage and whether he was still with me, my name, place of work, my whereabouts now,
They were probably just checking to make sure, as he was travelling on his own, that you were indeed a genuine couple. I would imagine that when you come through together this sidesteps most of those questions as you are stood right there.

3crown
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Post by 3crown » Wed Sep 16, 2009 2:55 pm

Thanks John and andyb123
think we might travel together from now on! at least he got through eventually only kept him for an hour and a half! If he ever gets a RED passport maybe it'll be easier for him to go and see his old mum
andyb123 wrote:
3crown wrote:...We've not had a problem at all when we've been travelling together.

Yes - questioned quickly and vigourously about our marriage and whether he was still with me, my name, place of work, my whereabouts now,
They were probably just checking to make sure, as he was travelling on his own, that you were indeed a genuine couple. I would imagine that when you come through together this sidesteps most of those questions as you are stood right there.

UKBAbble
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Post by UKBAbble » Wed Sep 16, 2009 3:15 pm

The questioning sounds quite reasonable to me, I'm sure there was no facial targetting.

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Post by Obie » Wed Sep 16, 2009 3:30 pm

One has to realise that only a victim of facial discrimination would know whether or not they have been a victim of such hideous act.

It might be the case that the officer was just undertaking routine checks, but the length of time he was kept at the airport before being let through, seems extremely disproportionate. There are other means they could have used to establish whether or not his relationship is subsisting, like contacting his wife, which they usually do for EEA nationals non -EEA family members, which is not as timely as what was to done to the OP's husband.

I think unnecessary hinderance was been caused to him, whether or not it was racially motivated, i will not know, only the immigration officer and the victim will be in the position of knowing this.

It could be that because he look middle Eastern, some measures were applied , which would not have been in other instances. We don't know.
Last edited by Obie on Wed Sep 16, 2009 4:47 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Casa
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Post by Casa » Wed Sep 16, 2009 3:43 pm

Similar situation, my husband was held in Immigration last year for just over an hour coming back from a visit to family and the female officer said this was to verify his address. He told her I was in the airport and had documents which would prove this, but she wasn't interested.

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Post by UKBAbble » Wed Sep 16, 2009 3:44 pm

Obie wrote: It might be the case that the officer was just undertaking a routine checks, but the length of time he was kept at the airport before being let through, seems extremely disproportionate. There are other means they could have used to establish whether or not his relationship is subsisting, like contacting his wife, which the usually do for EEA nationals non -EEA family members, which is not as timely as what was to done to the OP's husband.

I think unnecessary hinderance was been caused to him, whether or not it was racially motivated, i will not know, only the immigration officer and the victim will be in the position of knowing this.

It could be that because he look middle Eastern, some measures were applied , which would not have been in other instances. We don't know.
But you don't know how long he was held up. Questioning a passenger to establish the facts is often quicker and easier than putting them in a holding room and contacting sponsors. And his baggage wasn't checked so I think your comments are a little unfair.

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Casa
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Post by Casa » Wed Sep 16, 2009 3:47 pm

The OP says an hour and a half. Wouldn't it speed the process up if they spoke to the sponsor (wife) waiting at the airport.

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Post by UKBAbble » Wed Sep 16, 2009 4:05 pm

Casa wrote:The OP says an hour and a half. Wouldn't it speed the process up if they spoke to the sponsor (wife) waiting at the airport.
You're correct about the time I missed that. But is that from when the flight landed till he came out we don't know. I will say that when people are held up for further enquiries it can take a half hor to enter them on the computer administration system before they can even be questioned! Actually interviewing the passenger is best in suspected cases, taliking to the spouse doesn't always help.

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Post by mourad » Wed Sep 16, 2009 4:34 pm

hi guys i`m flying to algeria on friday and i`ll be back in 2 weeks i will let you know how it will go with the immigration.

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Post by Obie » Wed Sep 16, 2009 5:15 pm

UKbabble, the question here is proportionality. I know it is the duty of an immigration officer to establish the status and motives of an entrant. His or her duty is to preserve and protect the integrity of UK borders and to keep out unwanted guests, if the ECO hasn't already done so.

However, there are times when they overstep the mark, and act in an inappropriate manner, whether or not this is a racially motivated act i don't know.

I still remembered as a minor when i first entered the UK, the way an Immigration officer shouted at my elder sibling who is a British national to go with me to the all others queue and get my passport stamped, rather than the British ones, other people have been successful in doing this with relative ease.

I have met friendly ones, who just asked how was my holiday, stamped my passport and let me through, and others who shouted loudly to the point where i felt my eardrum was going to get burst "how did you get your stay" and turned my passport in nearly 10 different directions before letting me through.
I have also returned from school trips when i was younger and noticed different treatment. However i don't like playing the race card, and just get on with things.

In every institutions in the UK, there are lovey, to dismiss the notions that there are lovey among UKBA staff (or entity) as non-existent is totally wrong.

I believe that if the OP and her husband felt he was treated unfairly, he should proceed with a complaint, to prevent such abhorrent treatment in future.

They will be doing a huge disservice to other entrant by there reluctance to do so.

There is no clause in the Immigration rules that says the holder of a Spousal visa, should not travel on his/her own.

I must be on the err of caution, and say i don't know whether or not it is the case that the OP's husband was treated in a racially motivated manner, but i have had feedback from my Mediterranean and Middle eastern friends and associates that this is usually what the have to endure, in the process of seeking entry into the UK.
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Post by bototo » Wed Sep 16, 2009 7:29 pm

I don't believe they are generally dearly beloved. But my experience is that they are a rude, arrogant bunch. And bloody incompetent to boot.

I wouldn't be surprised if the sum total of their checks in this case amounted to five minutes but they kept him for an hour and a half anyway. But that's less time than it takes to get through to UKBA on the phone. If the wife standing outside did want to speak to UKBA at the terminal she could have been waiting several hours.

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Post by Casa » Thu Sep 17, 2009 7:32 am

This certainly isn't anything new. Years ago I worked for an airline at Gatwick and was often called through to Immigration to translate for Spanish speaking passengers being held for questioning. I recall one incident well when I was asked to interpret for a female passenger waiting for 'further checks' who spoke no English. She was sitting in a corridor wearing only thin clothes and told me she was freezing. I approached the Immigration officer and explained that she was cold and could she have a blanket or sit somewhere warmer. The response? "No...give her your coat."
Welcome to the UK. :(

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Post by mourad » Sat Oct 03, 2009 7:47 am

hi everyone i got back yesterday and i got to the the immigration desks first and i interrupted the immigration officers from having a conversation about a night out and the woman who processed me wasn`t too happy about it she only asked me but very obnoctiously 3 questions :
what is your wife`s name?
when did you get married?
is your wife still in the uk?
then after stamping my passport she sent it flying towards me like some people do in coffe shops when they throw money at the poor cafe assistant ..
never mind this it took about 5 minutes and it was all over.

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Post by navbulls » Sat Oct 03, 2009 12:46 pm

mourad wrote:hi everyone i got back yesterday and i got to the the immigration desks first and i interrupted the immigration officers from having a conversation about a night out and the woman who processed me wasn`t too happy about it she only asked me but very obnoctiously 3 questions :
what is your wife`s name?
when did you get married?
is your wife still in the uk?
then after stamping my passport she sent it flying towards me like some people do in coffe shops when they throw money at the poor cafe assistant ..
never mind this it took about 5 minutes and it was all over.
Lucky you! :lol:
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