Alan2005

It shouldn't, but it probably does.

mandymoochops

Oh come on now. So you are telling me that people are all treated similarly irrespective of their colour.

Of course they aren't, what Val I think was trying to point out is that she doesn't fit the usual demographic of someone who immediately evokes the phrase "suicide bomber" and you know it too.

Siouxie

I was just reading the ENF 4 that Former Lancastrian mentioned, interesting reading... if anyone else wants to read it it's here:

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resourc.../enf04-eng.pdf

A request for flags to be removed can be made and once you are a citizen it's pretty much automatic, if I read it right.

JonboyE

Of course not. But they should be.

Sure, and while racial profiling is distasteful it is a reality. Val may not fit he profile of a suicide bomber but there are a myriad other reasons why her name might be flagged by immigration. As has been suggested, maybe she has a name that is close to someone who is a bad person.

I can imagine how annoying and upsetting it is. I just don't think it is justified to assume that because someone is white they should somehow get different treatment from the CBSA.

My apologies if I have got the wrong end of the stick.

mandymoochops

Why is it wrong to put her colour down though, it's not as though saying you are white is a crime. Val was just describing herself and her circumstances.

People shouldn't get treated differently irrespectivly - and has been shown on here though I have no idea what colour either PMM or the op are - I know Rich and Val are white.

So it would appear that its not always people who aren't white are picked on.

Though I also would say that the majority of people who post on here are white so the percentage would be high!

Alan2005

I assumed it was a comment about the racism and prejudice you get from immigration people rather than a sense of entitlement from val50.

mandymoochops

Kowing Val personally - a sense of entitlement is the last thing in the world you would associate with her.

<waves at Val>

Former Lancastrian

If any poster or person has been flagged in the system I can say with 99.9% certainty that it is NOT because of their skin colour.
There are many reasons why a person can be flagged such as lost/stolen passport, previous immigration enforcement, same name as someone wanted etc etc
Believe it or not there are more than one John Smith born 1 March 1988 in the world.
Speaking from experience speaking to a Superintendent IS the way to go.
You make the complaint and the complaint is recorded. The complaint is reviewed and actioned.
Sure Im not going to say all complaints are dealt with to the satisfaction of all parties concerned but it is a record and I know from experience that no BSO or Supt is willing to lose their job over by not actioning such a mechanism.

An enforcement flag is generated when there is an entry in FOSS that automatically tells the BSO at the Primary Inspection Line that a particular traveller is of interest. The enforcement flag will show up as a hit on the IPIL database and will ensure that the traveller is referred to Immigration
Secondary each and every time they seek entry into Canada.

Travellers who have complaints can also use this link
http://www.cbsa.gc.ca/contact/com-eng.html

I will not comment on individuals who have run into problems with Immigration or Customs needless to say there are always 2 sides to a story.

jerry brewer

Hi
I had problems everytime travelling to USA from canada on a Uk passport, flew last time with my new canadian one and suprise,suprise .. no problems..
cheers
Jerry

R I C H

Yes, every time. I get the same response - 'we can't discuss it with you, please use the redress process if you feel it's appropriate'

iaink

Are any of the people having problems using a Canadian passport?

Alan2005

Wherever I go in the world I always hope I don't get stuck in an immigration queue behind an Indian family. You know that they are going to get the third degree and will take ages. I haven't been to India, but I assume that's the only place in the world that doesn't treat them this way on their way into the country.

DigitalGhost

I have met quite a few of them here who have lived in other places first on their way to the west and they tell me that their treatment in Canada is nothing compared with how they are treated in the likes of Dubai, Oman and Bahrain.

Former Lancastrian

Based on experience and talking to officers from other countries the vast majority of forged documentation or credentials happen to originate in India closely followed by Nigeria and other third world countries.
Im guessing that Indian Immigration & Customs dont deal with a lot of forged documents being presented to them on entry by their own citizens as opposed to their citizens presenting said documents to other countries Customs & Immigration officers.

Alan2005

I don't doubt it. I've seen how they are treated at Bangkok airport plenty of times - and they have (or used to) a system where you pick a queue rather than having one queue that feeds all the desks. You quickly learn to pick the one that is the "fastest looking" rather than the shortest; in practice this means that if the queue had people from south asia or africa in then it should be avoided.