UK border control
 

Just arrived back from Holiday in Turkey today and it was a nightmare getting through passport control at stansted airport: long lines, those biometric data machines that are supposed to take less time but they actually seem to take the same amount, no order with the lines (I think that is just stansted airport - the hellhole that it is!)

Why does it take so long to get back into ones own country - I've stood in lines in the USA for less time!

Re: UK border control
 

Apologies this isn't related to Canada but I thought seeing as a lot of people have dual nationality and experiences with returning to UK and how it compares to other countries

Re: UK border control
 

Recently arriving back at Gatwick from Spain I skipped the long Eu nationals line and used my Canadian passport. Much to the confusion of the BSO who couldn't find an entry stamp for either UK or Spain in my passport. Still let me in though.☺

Re: UK border control
 

My next goal in life is to get another passport/citizenship preferably a non-EU one ;)

It's getting longer and worse to get back into UK - no wonder so many people want to leave!

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I've never had any problems at Stansted Airport, apart from a wait for baggage reclaim. It's a fine, light, modern airport.

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They are doing a lot of work to it at the moment, it's a mess going through security and arriving in - overcrowded and can't cope. I've flown from gatwick, Heathrow, Birmingham, East Midlands and Luton and this was by far the worst experience :thumbdown:

Re: UK border control
 

If some people really want to leave the UK for that reason, then I think the UK is better off without them somehow! :lol:

It's never bothered me, even when travelling with a baby and a toddler after a long flight. Frankly I'd far rather have a long queue than have lax security that just wave everybody though.

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Did you need both hands to pick it up?

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It's in Essex, all you need is a Bacardi Breezer and a bag of chips.

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...or they are better off without the UK

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:thumbsup:
Boom tish!

Re: UK border control
 

I suppose it all depends on which flights arrive at the same time as yours. If there's a shed load of European flights then there might be a shed load of Europeans arriving. Just a thought.

Re: UK border control
 

You get what you pay for.

Re: UK border control
 

Well I just wanted to share my experience. Maybe when they have finished off the airport (I don't even know what they are doing to it but it looks like it needs expanding) it maybe different and they will have some better systems in place.

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So about a couple of £billion then (cost of airport)...

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OMG the UKBA doesn't have a programme like NEXUS? 3rd world country system :lol:

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I've heard of NEXUS but I don't know what it is..?

Re: UK border control
 

I've only flown from Stansted once, don't remember there being any issues.

I have a Portuguese passport, and so always used that to enter the UK... never had any issues with it except once. Usually the lines were pretty quick - even if they were a big long they move so fast since there's not much communication through the process. I've also used the biometric machines before, also pretty straight forward.

The one time I did have an "issue" with my passport, if you can even call it an issue:

UKBA: Where are you flying in from?
Me: Toronto
UKBA: And how did you come to have a Portuguese passport?
Me: My mom was born there
UKBA: THEN I GUESS I HAVE TO LET YOU IN, DON'T I.

And she practically threw my passport back at me. I hurried off, rather shocked at that exchange!

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Basically you get vetted in advance and then get a card that allows you to skip the usual line up at border crossings.

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I just go to the automated passport scanner thingy at Heathrow if I'm travelling by myself. There's never any queue, and it's just me and a couple of bored-looking customs people waiting for someone to use it.

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That's sounds like a great system.

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It only applies to Canadian and US citizens crossing the US border.
Maybe they will bring one in for Scotland?

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Actually it applies to PRs of both countries
To be eligible for the NEXUS, you must be a citizen or permanent resident of Canada or the United States.
NEXUS - Eligibility

Re: UK border control
 

I also would not say the US and Canada is all that pleasant to enter either, depending on time of day, airport, or border crossing, it can be a nightmare at times as well.

Last time I flew into YVR (4 years ago, rarely use Canadian airports) it took over an hour to get through, and then once at baggage the bags still were not on and that took another 30 minutes.

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I think waiting times, lines and security will get longer and more thorough.

The US has always been long lines though. Even before 9/11 in 2001 I was in transit in DC and it took me an hour to get through - before the days of retina and finger print scanners.

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I sympathise - the biometric data readers at Toronto Pearson couldn't read my handwriting! :eek: Damn landing cards again :rofl:

Lines at pearson always long, I agree, why is there such scrutiny as to where I've been, etc. I'm a Canadian, i'm re-entering the country because I live here. Full stop. They shouldn't care where I've been or why, seeing as its my right to leave Canada and re-enter as I wish. Foreigners entering however are different as they don't have the right to be here same as Canadians.

On the other hand, when I re entered from the US yesterday the officer didn't even look at my passport, didn't even open it! Just looked at the landing card and asked me what I was bringing back. YMMV

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:eek:
I would have told her its none of her business why I have a Maltese passport if I was ever asked.

It would go like this
IO: How did you come to have a Maltese passport if you were born in Canada and flying from Toronto?
Me: Because I am Maltese
IO: ...
Me: Repeats the same answer.

None of their business why we have dual nationality.

Re: UK border control
 

Yeah, try LAX :rofl:

Re: UK border control
 

I've not had the privilege of going through Border control in LA yet, I'll look forward to that one in summer 2015 :lol:

Re: UK border control
 

Mostly depends on how many flights are arriving or leaving; last time I flew through YVR I took about 20 seconds to get through US immigration on the way out, and about 30 seconds through Canadian on the way back. There was no queue at either.

Then I flew through Calgary, the queue went almost as far back as our arrival gate, and we had to wait nearly an hour just to get to the desk. Fortunately, we'd already figured out we weren't going to make our connecting flight anyway because our incoming flight was late.

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Oh boy do you have a lot to learn in life. So the 6 recent trips to Jamaica or Colombia might not be of interest to any Border Officer.
Are you honestly suggesting Canadians don't smuggle drugs, weapons and child porn into Canada. Perhaps where they have been and a few other indicators helps us catch these individuals.
Do you think they just walk up to us and say "Hey Ive got 2 kilos in my suitcase or check my laptop there are some pictures of 6 year old naked girls in a file.

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No... I don't mind the scanning (xray) of things, and pulling into secondary if anything suspicious is found, but really, do I need to be interrogated on where, and especially WHY I've been abroad? I'd argue under the Canadian charter of rights and freedoms it is my right to enter and leave Canada as I please, so it shouldn't matter WHY I've left, or WHY i'm returning. Or WHERE I've been.

Jamaica is a popular tourist destination, not really Colombia but still, as a Canadian it is my right to enter and leave as I please.

I'd be hesitant to turn on my laptop for an IO, theres no child porn or anything wacky but i'd still be hesitant to let an IO just search through my files.......

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Well the Supreme Court of Canada have already ruled on this in several cases so you would be wasting your time and money. The courts have also ruled that we can also search your smart phones, iPads and any other electronic devices so for future reference my advice is to bite your tongue and just comply when requested.
Taken from the Supreme Court decision R v Simmons

Sections 143 and 144 of the Customs Act do not infringe the right to be secure against unreasonable search and seizure enshrined in s. 8 of the Charter . It is true that these sections do not meet the safeguards articulated in Hunter v. Southam Inc., [1984] 2 S.C.R. 145, but these standards do not apply to customs searches. The degree of personal privacy reasonably expected at customs is lower than in most other situations. Sovereign states have the right to control both who and what enters their boundaries.
SCC Cases (Lexum) - R. v. Simmons

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Can they stop citizens coming back into their country of citizenship?

I've never thought about it.

I don't remember ever being asked where I've been when entering the UK.

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Short answer Yes as in questioning and search the persons baggage. You have a right of entry but it doesn't stop you being searched or questioned by Customs.

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At which point you are sent to secondary and an officer slaps on the latex gloves...:eek::lol:

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Thanks.

If you don't answer, does it become a police matter?

*humming* 64, 46, BMW!

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If you've got nothing to hide, then what's your problem? An officer is not going to waste their time reading through all the shit on your laptop, they would most likely look in a few random, pertinent places, if they had reason to suspect you. They would have neither the time or inclination to do want to delve for no reason. The turning on of devices is purely to see that they are what they say they are, not just concealing something within the casing.

Of course they ask the questions, it's their job to weed nasties out. And yes, and some will be Canadians.

A while ago, there was an outbreak of Foot and Mouth disease in Europe, and it's asked on landing cards if you have been on a farm. How many Canadians would necessarily know that they could have spread that disease to farms here too? Pretty small ask to prevent millions of dead livestock, bankrupt farmers etc. Would have been devastating.

Yes, it's your right to re-enter Canada, but I believe it is also everyone's responsibility to comply with the law and help keep Canada 'safe', no? One of the easiest ways I would have thought to do that would be to let the Border Officials do their job and answer their questions. I know that some can be jobsworths but if it weeds out some coke and kiddie porn then I think it's a small price to pay for telling them where you've been. And like I say, what do you have to hide by not telling them?

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Do you have to go abroad to get kiddie porn? :confused:

I always comply with rules but sometimes I do wonder if we've let things go too far.

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No UKBA and CBSA would deal with it but if serious enough local police could be contacted to lay charges and then have you appear in court.
As for the child porn you can get it in Canada but certain countries are lets say a bit less stringent about what goes on in their countries be it child porn or sex tourism with children. A quick google search will point you in the right direction if thats what floats your boat.
Just a small example (not of the porn :lol:)
25 Canadians among 57 men arrested in international child porn probe

Just do a google search Vancouver man charged with child porn
and see what results you get it might disturb you.