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Bad experience at Heathrow

Use this section for any queries concerning the EU Settlement Scheme, for applicants holding pre-settled and settled status.

Moderators: Casa, push, JAJ, ca.funke, Amber, zimba, vinny, Obie, EUsmileWEallsmile, batleykhan, meself2, geriatrix, John, ChetanOjha, archigabe

EUsmileWEallsmile
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Post by EUsmileWEallsmile » Fri Mar 16, 2012 3:54 pm

Minor comment on the letter. You need to state what terminal you encountered the border officers (you can fly into one terminal, pass immigration at another for example).

When you complain, they will be familiar with all the regulations and permutations. You don't need to quote all that, but if it makes you feel better then feel free!

Marco 72
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Post by Marco 72 » Fri Mar 16, 2012 11:42 pm

Many thanks for your advice. A modified version of the letter has been sent to UKBA and a slightly different version to the European Commission address which ca.funke supplied. I will let you know of any developments.

Thanks again for all the information!

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Post by Marco 72 » Fri Mar 16, 2012 11:43 pm

EUsmileWEallsmile wrote:When you complain, they will be familiar with all the regulations and permutations. You don't need to quote all that, but if it makes you feel better then feel free!
After all the experiences we have had, I would not assume that any UKBA employee knows anything about regulations.

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Post by EUsmileWEallsmile » Sat Mar 17, 2012 9:54 am

Marco 72 wrote:
EUsmileWEallsmile wrote:When you complain, they will be familiar with all the regulations and permutations. You don't need to quote all that, but if it makes you feel better then feel free!
After all the experiences we have had, I would not assume that any UKBA employee knows anything about regulations.
I know how you feel. It is frankly ridiculous that almost six years after the regulations came into force, that there is any confusion at the border on the part of their officers. Beautifully clear guidance is written for them and can be accessed under Freedom of Information on their website by all and their guys don't appear to have read them.

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Post by Plum70 » Sat Mar 17, 2012 1:09 pm

Even though I have contributed to challenging the UK on it's implementation of the EU Directive I still hold out little hope when I arrive at a UK border. I simply prepare for the 'worst' and wait to be pleasantly surprised.

You get the distinct impression that the general feeling is "We wish these meddling Regulations would just go away and leave us to get on with it our way".

I for one cannot wait to be done with jumping through this hoop. It's been long enough...

EUsmileWEallsmile
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Post by EUsmileWEallsmile » Sat Mar 17, 2012 4:18 pm

Perhaps some on border control have either not read the guidance or have poor memory. Perhaps there are those who've transferred from other duties. That said, it should take 10 mins to read and understand the requirements for those entering under the 2006 regs.

flames
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Post by flames » Sun Mar 18, 2012 10:26 pm

I took a coach to France for the weekend with my wife and upon returning at Dover i had a problem with an immigration officer.

Firstly he wanted me to complete a landing card, i then pointed out to him that i have an EEA2 residence card then he said ''oh ok''. He then asked me how long i have been married and if i ever travelled with my year old residence card before and i said yes. I then got distracted and the IO stamped my passport and wrote ''wife'' on top of the stamp. I then asked him why he did that when in the first place he wasn't even supposed to have stamped my passport. He then said it indicates that you were travelling with your wife. I then asked him is that new procedure or what? because i have never heard of that and he replied saying i am just doing my job. I then politely asked for his supervisor and he came and apologised for the stamp and tried to make up a story for the IO writing ''wife'' in my passport. I then asked for both their names and the complaints procedure and i will certainly chase it up with a complaints email tomorrow.

That was just appalling behaviour by the immigration officer and i can't understand why he did that. Now, no one can and will convince me that the IO did not know what he was doing. After having exempted me from completing the landing card why did he then stamp the passport?.

I refuse to believe poor training is the cause of his actions but he was motivated by something else that i just can't understand. I don't want to pull the race card (because it may simply not be the case) in case people scream i have a chip on my shoulder but leave people to make their own conclusions.

How hard is it for an IO not to stamp non EEA passport holders's passports with residence cards and not to insist on landing cards?, after all it's the LAW. It's not like they will lose anything. What a bunch of muppets!!!

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Post by mcovet » Mon Mar 19, 2012 12:35 pm

http://immigrationboards.com/viewtopic. ... highlight=


Thought u guys may like this one, shows that nothing's changed...

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Post by EUsmileWEallsmile » Mon Mar 19, 2012 8:09 pm

flames wrote:I took a coach to France for the weekend with my wife and upon returning at Dover i had a problem with an immigration officer.

Firstly he wanted me to complete a landing card, i then pointed out to him that i have an EEA2 residence card then he said ''oh ok''. He then asked me how long i have been married and if i ever travelled with my year old residence card before and i said yes. I then got distracted and the IO stamped my passport and wrote ''wife'' on top of the stamp. I then asked him why he did that when in the first place he wasn't even supposed to have stamped my passport. He then said it indicates that you were travelling with your wife. I then asked him is that new procedure or what? because i have never heard of that and he replied saying i am just doing my job. I then politely asked for his supervisor and he came and apologised for the stamp and tried to make up a story for the IO writing ''wife'' in my passport. I then asked for both their names and the complaints procedure and i will certainly chase it up with a complaints email tomorrow.

That was just appalling behaviour by the immigration officer and i can't understand why he did that. Now, no one can and will convince me that the IO did not know what he was doing. After having exempted me from completing the landing card why did he then stamp the passport?.

I refuse to believe poor training is the cause of his actions but he was motivated by something else that i just can't understand. I don't want to pull the race card (because it may simply not be the case) in case people scream i have a chip on my shoulder but leave people to make their own conclusions.

How hard is it for an IO not to stamp non EEA passport holders's passports with residence cards and not to insist on landing cards?, after all it's the LAW. It's not like they will lose anything. What a bunch of muppets!!!
That's a pity, it is annoying. Feel free to complain. The more complaints the more likely it will sink in.

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Post by EUsmileWEallsmile » Mon Mar 19, 2012 8:29 pm

flames wrote:I took a coach to France for the weekend with my wife and upon returning at Dover i had a problem with an immigration officer.

Firstly he wanted me to complete a landing card, i then pointed out to him that i have an EEA2 residence card then he said ''oh ok''. He then asked me how long i have been married and if i ever travelled with my year old residence card before and i said yes. I then got distracted and the IO stamped my passport and wrote ''wife'' on top of the stamp. I then asked him why he did that when in the first place he wasn't even supposed to have stamped my passport. He then said it indicates that you were travelling with your wife. I then asked him is that new procedure or what? because i have never heard of that and he replied saying i am just doing my job. I then politely asked for his supervisor and he came and apologised for the stamp and tried to make up a story for the IO writing ''wife'' in my passport. I then asked for both their names and the complaints procedure and i will certainly chase it up with a complaints email tomorrow.

That was just appalling behaviour by the immigration officer and i can't understand why he did that. Now, no one can and will convince me that the IO did not know what he was doing. After having exempted me from completing the landing card why did he then stamp the passport?.

I refuse to believe poor training is the cause of his actions but he was motivated by something else that i just can't understand. I don't want to pull the race card (because it may simply not be the case) in case people scream i have a chip on my shoulder but leave people to make their own conclusions.

How hard is it for an IO not to stamp non EEA passport holders's passports with residence cards and not to insist on landing cards?, after all it's the LAW. It's not like they will lose anything. What a bunch of muppets!!!
Did you have any problems with French border control? Did you have any problems with the coach company when presenting your passport with EEA Residence card?

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Post by flames » Mon Mar 19, 2012 9:22 pm

EUsmileWEallsmile wrote:
flames wrote:I took a coach to France for the weekend with my wife and upon returning at Dover i had a problem with an immigration officer.

Firstly he wanted me to complete a landing card, i then pointed out to him that i have an EEA2 residence card then he said ''oh ok''. He then asked me how long i have been married and if i ever travelled with my year old residence card before and i said yes. I then got distracted and the IO stamped my passport and wrote ''wife'' on top of the stamp. I then asked him why he did that when in the first place he wasn't even supposed to have stamped my passport. He then said it indicates that you were travelling with your wife. I then asked him is that new procedure or what? because i have never heard of that and he replied saying i am just doing my job. I then politely asked for his supervisor and he came and apologised for the stamp and tried to make up a story for the IO writing ''wife'' in my passport. I then asked for both their names and the complaints procedure and i will certainly chase it up with a complaints email tomorrow.

That was just appalling behaviour by the immigration officer and i can't understand why he did that. Now, no one can and will convince me that the IO did not know what he was doing. After having exempted me from completing the landing card why did he then stamp the passport?.

I refuse to believe poor training is the cause of his actions but he was motivated by something else that i just can't understand. I don't want to pull the race card (because it may simply not be the case) in case people scream i have a chip on my shoulder but leave people to make their own conclusions.

How hard is it for an IO not to stamp non EEA passport holders's passports with residence cards and not to insist on landing cards?, after all it's the LAW. It's not like they will lose anything. What a bunch of muppets!!!
Did you have any problems with French border control? Did you have any problems with the coach company when presenting your passport with EEA Residence card?
I had no problems with Eurolines when boarding in London, the guy simply asked if i had a schengen visa and i said yes and he never bothered to look for it. Same story in Paris, the guy just looked at my residence card and never asked me anything at check in when returning to London.

French authorities never gave me problems. On the way to France, the passport was collected in the bus and returned in the bus stamped. When returning on sunday the French guy looked at my passport and stamped it.

The only headache was with the UKBA immigration officer who chose to apply the law half heartedly by exempting me from completing a landing card but stamping my passport and writing ''wife'' on top of the stamp.

I sent a complaint email today and another one to the MP to get answers from UKBA why many years later some IO's blatantly choose to disregard the law and what their own Border Force manual says in their treatment of residence card holders retruning to UK at ports. If i get a response i will happily post it on here

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Post by EUsmileWEallsmile » Mon Mar 19, 2012 10:02 pm

flames wrote: I had no problems with Eurolines when boarding in London, the guy simply asked if i had a schengen visa and i said yes and he never bothered to look for it. Same story in Paris, the guy just looked at my residence card and never asked me anything at check in when returning to London.

French authorities never gave me problems. On the way to France, the passport was collected in the bus and returned in the bus stamped. When returning on sunday the French guy looked at my passport and stamped it.
French should not have stamped the passport either.

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Post by flames » Mon Mar 19, 2012 10:22 pm

EUsmileWEallsmile wrote:
flames wrote: I had no problems with Eurolines when boarding in London, the guy simply asked if i had a schengen visa and i said yes and he never bothered to look for it. Same story in Paris, the guy just looked at my residence card and never asked me anything at check in when returning to London.

French authorities never gave me problems. On the way to France, the passport was collected in the bus and returned in the bus stamped. When returning on sunday the French guy looked at my passport and stamped it.
French should not have stamped the passport either.
Oh, i wasn't aware of that.

I mistakenly thought that even though i am travelling with my wife but with a schengen visa then i was being admitted to France on the basis of my schengen visa?

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Post by EUsmileWEallsmile » Tue Mar 20, 2012 8:19 pm

flames wrote:
EUsmileWEallsmile wrote:
flames wrote: I had no problems with Eurolines when boarding in London, the guy simply asked if i had a schengen visa and i said yes and he never bothered to look for it. Same story in Paris, the guy just looked at my residence card and never asked me anything at check in when returning to London.

French authorities never gave me problems. On the way to France, the passport was collected in the bus and returned in the bus stamped. When returning on sunday the French guy looked at my passport and stamped it.
French should not have stamped the passport either.
Oh, i wasn't aware of that.

I mistakenly thought that even though i am travelling with my wife but with a schengen visa then i was being admitted to France on the basis of my schengen visa?
If you have a UK issued residence card and are traveling with your wife, you don't need a visa. If you had both, it is possible that the French IO did not see your residence card.

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Post by flames » Tue Mar 20, 2012 9:30 pm

EUsmileWEallsmile wrote:
flames wrote:
EUsmileWEallsmile wrote:
flames wrote: I had no problems with Eurolines when boarding in London, the guy simply asked if i had a schengen visa and i said yes and he never bothered to look for it. Same story in Paris, the guy just looked at my residence card and never asked me anything at check in when returning to London.

French authorities never gave me problems. On the way to France, the passport was collected in the bus and returned in the bus stamped. When returning on sunday the French guy looked at my passport and stamped it.
French should not have stamped the passport either.
Oh, i wasn't aware of that.

I mistakenly thought that even though i am travelling with my wife but with a schengen visa then i was being admitted to France on the basis of my schengen visa?
If you have a UK issued residence card and are traveling with your wife, you don't need a visa.
If you had both, it is possible that the French IO did not see your residence card
.
True

I have 2 passports and my residence card is in my old passport and he didn't open it, though the passports are held together by an elastic band.

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Post by EUsmileWEallsmile » Tue Mar 20, 2012 10:30 pm

Oh well that might explain it. You'll know for the next time.

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Post by presido007 » Sat Mar 24, 2012 5:22 pm

You know guys, any time I am coming back to UK, I prefer to use lines meant for "other passports" than using eea line at the port of entry (airport). the reason is because, it is faster and I didn't need to wait on a very long queue with eea nationals. in some cases I am the only person in that line and am the first to get to luggage area, and I dont care if they stamp my passport even though I have RC on my passport. maybe, because I dont use the major airports when travelling. because the last thing I want to do when I travel is to argue with any officer or anybody for that matter, I just want to go home and sleep.

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Post by EUsmileWEallsmile » Sat Mar 24, 2012 6:54 pm

presido007 wrote:You know guys, any time I am coming back to UK, I prefer to use lines meant for "other passports" than using eea line at the port of entry (airport). the reason is because, it is faster and I didn't need to wait on a very long queue with eea nationals. in some cases I am the only person in that line and am the first to get to luggage area, and I dont care if they stamp my passport even though I have RC on my passport. maybe, because I dont use the major airports when travelling. because the last thing I want to do when I travel is to argue with any officer or anybody for that matter, I just want to go home and sleep.
Avoid Heathrow if you want to have a short queue. Where you queue is not really at issue - it's the stamping and the landing cards.

Enjoy your sleep, you're entitled to your opinion, but with attitudes like that nothing will change.

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Post by presido007 » Sat Mar 24, 2012 7:08 pm

EUsmileWEallsmile wrote:
presido007 wrote:You know guys, any time I am coming back to UK, I prefer to use lines meant for "other passports" than using eea line at the port of entry (airport). the reason is because, it is faster and I didn't need to wait on a very long queue with eea nationals. in some cases I am the only person in that line and am the first to get to luggage area, and I dont care if they stamp my passport even though I have RC on my passport. maybe, because I dont use the major airports when travelling. because the last thing I want to do when I travel is to argue with any officer or anybody for that matter, I just want to go home and sleep.
Avoid Heathrow if you want to have a short queue. Where you queue is not really at issue - it's the stamping and the landing cards.

Enjoy your sleep, you're entitled to your opinion, but with attitudes like that nothing will change.
That is exactly my point, I have never travelled through Heathrow, maybe that is why I didn't care about which line I queue in. about stamping my passport, the officers have always used the same page on my passport any time they stamp my passport.

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Post by EUsmileWEallsmile » Sat Mar 24, 2012 8:16 pm

presido007 wrote:
EUsmileWEallsmile wrote:
presido007 wrote:You know guys, any time I am coming back to UK, I prefer to use lines meant for "other passports" than using eea line at the port of entry (airport). the reason is because, it is faster and I didn't need to wait on a very long queue with eea nationals. in some cases I am the only person in that line and am the first to get to luggage area, and I dont care if they stamp my passport even though I have RC on my passport. maybe, because I dont use the major airports when travelling. because the last thing I want to do when I travel is to argue with any officer or anybody for that matter, I just want to go home and sleep.
Avoid Heathrow if you want to have a short queue. Where you queue is not really at issue - it's the stamping and the landing cards.

Enjoy your sleep, you're entitled to your opinion, but with attitudes like that nothing will change.
That is exactly my point, I have never travelled through Heathrow, maybe that is why I didn't care about which line I queue in. about stamping my passport, the officers have always used the same page on my passport any time they stamp my passport.
...which they are not allowed to do!

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Post by maviesk » Wed Mar 28, 2012 5:33 pm

Last year my partner and I travelled to Bruseels via the Eurostar. On the way back we had an officer who seemed to be particularly miserable, asking stupid questions (which one of you is the Turkish one?), most of which I can't remember now but she then stamped my partner's passport.. When I confronted her telling her that it's against the regulations she was totally dismissive, saying things like what difference will it make? Se then demanded I tell her the reason I was so irate about it.. I told her that I didn't have to give a reason at which point she called over the chief immigration officer who seemed quite sympathetic but basically gave me a bs reply saying that although my partner doesn't fill in a landing card, the stamp can be placed in the passport at the discretion of the officer... I didm't agree with that, it either is or isn't! When I got back to the UK I sent an email of complaint and within a few weeks we got an apology and £25 compensation.

It may seem like nit picking but when you consider how inept the Ukba ca be as an organization (they messed up our residence application and it took 8 months to get the rc/passport back because they demanded documents which were already in the application!) I feel like its our duty to come down on them like a ton of bricks, otherwise the incompetence will not continue.

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Post by Plum70 » Wed Mar 28, 2012 6:31 pm

maviesk wrote:It may seem like nit picking but when you consider how inept the Ukba ca be as an organization (they messed up our residence application and it took 8 months to get the rc/passport back because they demanded documents which were already in the application!) I feel like its our duty to come down on them like a ton of bricks, otherwise the incompetence will not continue.
I agree - complain and things (slowly) improve; say nothing and things stay same or get worse.

Good result for you. I also had a slightly similar hold up at Brussels Midi in '10, complained when I got back to the UK and got an apology letter. I wonder what you did to get £25 compensation! :wink:

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Post by alekos » Wed Mar 28, 2012 6:59 pm

I also want to know how you got them to compensate you. Apologies from the UKBA are not worth the paper they are written on.
Thank you everyone in this forum.

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Post by EUsmileWEallsmile » Wed Mar 28, 2012 8:41 pm

maviesk wrote:Last year my partner and I travelled to Bruseels via the Eurostar. On the way back we had an officer who seemed to be particularly miserable, asking stupid questions (which one of you is the Turkish one?), most of which I can't remember now but she then stamped my partner's passport.. When I confronted her telling her that it's against the regulations she was totally dismissive, saying things like what difference will it make? Se then demanded I tell her the reason I was so irate about it.. I told her that I didn't have to give a reason at which point she called over the chief immigration officer who seemed quite sympathetic but basically gave me a bs reply saying that although my partner doesn't fill in a landing card, the stamp can be placed in the passport at the discretion of the officer... I didm't agree with that, it either is or isn't! When I got back to the UK I sent an email of complaint and within a few weeks we got an apology and £25 compensation.

It may seem like nit picking but when you consider how inept the Ukba ca be as an organization (they messed up our residence application and it took 8 months to get the rc/passport back because they demanded documents which were already in the application!) I feel like its our duty to come down on them like a ton of bricks, otherwise the incompetence will not continue.
Well done for complaining. Yes, it might seem to be trivial to some, but it's the law.

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Post by Directive/2004/38/EC » Wed Mar 28, 2012 11:01 pm

maviesk wrote:Last year my partner and I travelled to Bruseels via the Eurostar. On the way back we had an officer who seemed to be particularly miserable, asking stupid questions (which one of you is the Turkish one?), most of which I can't remember now but she then stamped my partner's passport.. When I confronted her telling her that it's against the regulations she was totally dismissive, saying things like what difference will it make? Se then demanded I tell her the reason I was so irate about it.. I told her that I didn't have to give a reason at which point she called over the chief immigration officer who seemed quite sympathetic but basically gave me a bs reply saying that although my partner doesn't fill in a landing card, the stamp can be placed in the passport at the discretion of the officer... I didm't agree with that, it either is or isn't! When I got back to the UK I sent an email of complaint and within a few weeks we got an apology and £25 compensation.
Good good good for you!

Did you explicitly ask for compensation?

I assume you have a UKBA issued Residence Card. Is that correct?

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