Bad experience at Heathrow

[Vinnie21]

The only thing that I use the landing card is for the back side and my nose to blow but yeah u are right they are not allowed to stump the passport no longer most officers don't know the law they just there to sit and look nice pluss they hate that u can go in holiday and they can't I personally hate all of them I was traveling with my family and he told my son which is 6 I'm going to arrest u I told him try to lay a fing her and touch him u will not see the day light tomorrow and I took all my family passport from his hand and the police shows up I wasn't even stoping it came to a point when his manager was begging me not to complain but yeah complain

[keffers]

I have to say I wish my passport would be stamped every time I travelled to a European country just like it is when I travel further afield.

What is so wrong with having a stamp in your passport? Who cares whether they should or should not? That's why you have pages in a passport.

I would hazard a guess that 99.99* of British people would not bat an eyelid if their passport was stamped when travelling to an EU country even if it were only applied to British passport holders.

Now if immigration insisted on stamping your forehead...

[frei]

I have to say I wish my passport would be stamped every time I travelled to a European country just like it is when I travel further afield.

What is so wrong with having a stamp in your passport? Who cares whether they should or should not? That's why you have pages in a passport.

I would hazard a guess that 99.99* of British people would not bat an eyelid if their passport was stamped when travelling to an EU country even if it were only applied to British passport holders.

Now if immigration insisted on stamping your forehead...

And what exactly is the point you are trying to make? You seems to have a negative opinion to others especially when a thread on the EU pops up, a DM reader perhaps?

If you don't like what you see on here you can as well keep busy by posting on the DM website, seems they have more contradicting articles on the EU, and in there you would find people who share your line of thought believe me you are not alone in your thoughts

[keffers]

Very touchy.

People really do need to get over themselves if something as trivial as a stamp in a passport takes on epic proportions of state and jobsworth interference.

Perhaps its a cultural thing by people who are not used to having a right to complain against authority.

They should save it for the serious stuff - not about a bit of ink on a document designed to be stamped.

I read the Guardian.

[yoshi_jp]

At least, EEA applications are available free of charge. I paid £1500 to UKBA for my Tier 1 (G) BRP and waited for a long time, only to see a very under-trained woman at Liverpool Airport telling me that I had to report the change of job and I broke the rule by not doing so.

No, I didn't lose my calm or start panicking.

"Oh, really?"
"Yes."
"I didn't know that. Are you really really sure?"
"Yes, of course"
"REALLY?"
"YES"
"That's interesting. Then, are you going to ship me back to Japan now or what? (LOL)"

Eventually, she came to sense, started looking up the UK immigration rules on the computer screen and realised that I was allowed to change my job, employer, address, etc.

You just can't expect those jobsworths to know everything in the rule book. It just won't happen. It isn't right, but it also isn't very productive to be too worked up.

[keffers]

Absolutely right yoshi_jp. You reinforce my feeling that to enthusiatically and even aggressively complain about trivial transgressions by UK authorities (even when the service is free) is influenced by culture.

You being Japanese reminded me of something and so I checked...

It was my old passport in which I had glued a document - Japanese Customs Form C. I did so because the Japanese Immigration did not stamp my passport. I remember being very dissapointed after having travelled so very far.

Most of it is in Japanese but a few things are not such as the place (Kawasaki) and the date (58 12 7 - it was the early 1980s but that is how the date has been written).

EU travel has made many national passports such boring documents these days.

[fysicus]

It's seems that there are plenty of IOs on top of the regs, which is good.

I still can't get over it - presenter, what ever next?

Unfortunately not yet all IO's are on top of the EEA Regulations, as we found out a few days ago.

First he made a problem of the fact that my wife's PRC was a standalone Immigration Status Document, and then he even wanted to take my wife's fingerprints. When we then asked to see the Chief Immigration Officer he claimed there was no one on duty, which I simply cannot believe.
Of course we refused the fingerprints, and then he let us through.

Of course I noted the number on his ID badge, and a formal complaint has been submitted.

P.S. look at the description of Border Force complaints procedure

[Directive/2004/38/EC]

fysicus, thank you very much for taking the time to challenge the IO and to complain! Let us know if you get a substantive response

[wiggsy]

Please note, we can only accept complaints in English and Welsh

not very compliant with EU law is it? I thought they had to accept communication in any state's language, and infact reply in the same language...

ALSO:

not really worth complaining only to the UKBA, take it further:
http://ec.europa.eu/eu_law/your_rights/ ... hts_en.htm

[EUsmileWEallsmile]

First he made a problem of the fact that my wife's PRC was a standalone Immigration Status Document, and then he even wanted to take my wife's fingerprints.

Well done for standing your ground. It is not always easy to do this.

[fysicus]

Please note, we can only accept complaints in English and Welsh

not very compliant with EU law is it? I thought they had to accept communication in any state's language, and infact reply in the same language...

I don't think EU law is as strict on this point as you think. The European Commission and other EU institutions do indeed accept communication in any of the EU's official languages, but there is no obligation for member states to do the same.

[wiggsy]

Please note, we can only accept complaints in English and Welsh

not very compliant with EU law is it? I thought they had to accept communication in any state's language, and infact reply in the same language...

I don't think EU law is as strict on this point as you think. The European Commission and other EU institutions do indeed accept communication in any of the EU's official languages, but there is no obligation for member states to do the same.

I forget where I read it, and did have a quick google. but it actually stated member states have the same obligation (it was on one of the europa websites - official website not a forum etc - otherwise it wouldn't of likely stuck in there...)

[fysicus]

First he made a problem of the fact that my wife's PRC was a standalone Immigration Status Document, and then he even wanted to take my wife's fingerprints.

Well done for standing your ground. It is not always easy to do this.

We have now received a response to our complaint. I'll share the bits that I think are of general interest:

As you are no doubt aware all applications for entry to the UK are considered in accordance with criteria set out in the Immigration Rules. The Border Force officer will assess the individual’s overall intentions and credibility before reaching a decision as to whether the individual has met the requirements of the Immigration Rules. In cases where a Residence Permit has been issued the officer must be satisfied the conditions of the permit continue to be met. All arriving passengers must expect to be questioned to this end.
The operational manager has identified the Border Force officer who dealt with you. The officer recalls dealing with you and following the investigation he accepts he was wrong to request your fingerprints; this aspect of you complaint is upheld. I would like to apologise for any inconvenience and delay this caused you and your husband.

[Directive/2004/38/EC]

Immigration rules

NOT

[EUsmileWEallsmile]

It is interesting that the response refers to the residence card as a permit. It's not, nor as others stated anything to do with the immigration rules.