I lie every time I come to the UK and I don't like it

[fastok]

I'm a non-European citizen. Specifically, from Yemen. Been visiting the UK on tourist Visas since 2000. I go there twice a year and spend two or three weeks on each visit. Never overstayed or did anything wrong, so I started with 6 months visas and now I have a 10 years Visa. No problems there what so ever.

Over the years I made many friends there, some of them became very close, and I also have a girlfriend who is a British citizen. Thing is, every time I arrive to the UK I'm asked by the border officer the couple o'regular questions such as how long are you staying for etc, and I am asked if I have any friends or relatives in the UK. When I'm asked the later, I say no and get landed immediately no problem.

The reason I say 'no' is that I think it would be quite embarrassing if I said yes and then I was asked for my friends' contact details and he decides to call them. No one sponsors me and I stay at hotels and my friends are just that; friends. And I can't even begin to imagine what they would do if I said that I have a girlfriend over there!!

So, what I need to know is;

1) What will happen if I said that I do have friends? Will that make them worry? Will they call them or ask for their details?

2) What if they do ask and I refuse to give their names or details to protect their and my privacy. Will they have the right to refuse me entry?

3) What if I say that I have a girlfriend. Will they be worried that I might break the law or do any monkey business like getting married to stay there? Will they call her? Do I have the right to refuse to give her name or details?

Sorry about the essay questions. I just don't want o lie anymore, but I don't want to look like an idiots when immigration calls my friends to ask about me!

Cheers

[Mr Rusty]

Firstly, you have a lot of protection because you have a visa. Therefore, the visa could only be cancelled and you refused entry if the Immigration Officer can show that there have been misrepresentations to obtain the visa, or a change of circumstances since it was issued. If you have been visiting the UK for nearly 10 years and never broken the rules it would be very difficult to make a strong case for refusing you entry.
You might one day encounter an IO with more than one brain cell who actually wonders how you can have been coming here for 10 years without making any friends or acquaintances, and when you say you haven't any, wants to make further enquiries as to what you actually do here, particularly in the light of current security concerns.
So it's not going to hurt you to say that you do have friends that you've made during 10 years of visits here. You have no particular sponsor and you stay in a hotel, so you look like a traveller with reasonable resources who enjoys visiting the UK regularly, like millions of different nationalities throughout the world. You don't need to declare a girlfriend unless the IO specifically asks you, but you should answer any questions truthfully. If you have a girlfriend in the UK and a wife and children back home, that's your business. The Immigration Rules take no moral view on such matters, but if you are asked questions and refuse to answer, it's bound to raise suspicions.

[batleykhan]

I think you will be questioned even more now both by IO and maybe your friends in view of the fact that you originate from Yemen and the western countries opinion of that country in light of recent events.

I accept its wrong, but I dont think others will see it that way

[andyb123]

I think you will be questioned even more now both by IO and maybe your friends in view of the fact that you originate from Yemen and the western countries opinion of that country in light of recent events.

I accept its wrong, but I dont think others will see it that way

it's a funny coincidence that not long after security agencies were forced to stop using facial profiling, and that a US made "security scanner" caused loads of controversy about showing people naked, suddenly there's a failed bombing attempt

So now they say "these countries" are on a watch list. Oh, what's that you say? 99% of the people who live in those countries have brown skin? what a funny coincidence

and we'll ignore the fact that the US made scanner can't detect liquids and plastic explosives (but there's a UK made one that can - which also doesn't show images - it works entirely on passing radar through something to detect what it is)

I'm not usually a conspiracy theorist, but it does all seem strangely convenient

as Dara O'Briain said last week - if we get to the point where you can't get on a plane without showing your genitals to a man in a box, I'd say the terrorists have already won

[mochyn]

I am not sure what a ''terrorist'' is but if you are talking about people who have changed the way we look at life then they ''won'' a long time ago

[RedLed]

Personally I don't mind showing my nuts to a man in a box - as long as I can get on and off the plane safely!

[andyb123]

Personally I don't mind showing my nuts to a man in a box - as long as I can get on and off the plane safely!

but that's the point - the scanners they are buying do NOT detect liquid or plastic explosives

[f2k]

....
So, what I need to know is;

1) What will happen if I said that I do have friends? Will that make them worry? Will they call them or ask for their details?

2) What if they do ask and I refuse to give their names or details to protect their and my privacy. Will they have the right to refuse me entry?

3) What if I say that I have a girlfriend. Will they be worried that I might break the law or do any monkey business like getting married to stay there? Will they call her? Do I have the right to refuse to give her name or details?

Sorry about the essay questions. I just don't want o lie anymore, but I don't want to look like an idiots when immigration calls my friends to ask about me!

Cheers

1/ I dont think anything could necessarily happen if you said you had friends here. they may venture more into the nature of your friendships, especially in light of whats been happening the last few weeks. Usually i think if you get to the stage of calling friends it means you are in trouble already, so i dont think it would be a good idea to hide anything at that stage. Thing is though, while you may have friends here, i dont think they would readily call them if you dont state that your visit is specifically to meet those friends.

2/ If they ask and you refuse i think you will be on the next plane home. It will look like you have something to hide either on an immigration nature or on a security nature

3/ They may want to know more about your relationship and may probably want to call her to collaborate your story. Refusing to name her will again probably result in you being denied entry